TRAINING  IN  NIGHT  MOVEMENTS 


BASED  ON 


ACTUAL  EXPERIENCES  IN  WAR 


TRANSLATED  FROM  THE  JAPANESE 


By   First  Lieutenant  C.  BURNETT,  Fourtk  Cavalry 


U.  S.  CAVALRY  ASSOCIATION 
Fort  Leaven  worth,  Kansas 

1914 


COPYRIGHT,  IQI4,  BY 
U.  S.  CAVALRY  ASSOCIATION. 


KETCHESON   PRINTING  CO., 
LEAVENWORTH,  KANSAS. 


TRANSLATOR'S  PREFACE. 


The  importance  of  night  movements  and  night  at- 
tacks in  the  military  operations  of  the  present  day  is 
so  generally  recognized,  that  any  discussion  on  that  point 
would  be  more  than  superfluous.  That  the  Japanese 
army,  from  the  standpoint  of  practical  experience, 
is  best  qualified  to  discuss  such  operations,  would  seem 
to  follow  as  a  matter  also  beyond  discussion.  For  this 
reason  it  occured  to  me  that  the  translation  of  this  work 
of  a  Japanese  officer  who  was  a  company  commander 
during  the  Japanese-Russian  War,  might,  and  I  ven- 
ture to  say,  does  contain  much  that  will  be  of  interest 
and  profit  to  our  own  service. 

Night  movements  are  admittedly  among  the  most 
difficult  operations  of  war ;  the  margin  between  victory 
and  defeat  is  so  small  that  it  is  a  difficult  matter  to  say 
to  just  what  comparatively  trivial  reason  success  or 
failure  may  be  due.  Such  being  the  case,  it  naturally 
follows  that  minute  and  painstaking  training  is  abso- 
lutely necessary  if  success  can  be  even  hoped  for.  Mili- 
tary writers  on  this  subject  have  usually  recognized 
that  fact,  but  their  treatment  of  the  matter  has  con- 
sisted so  largely  of  vague  generalities  that  they  are 
not  of  much  assistance  to  Captain  Jones  in  the  train- 
ing of  his  company  and  are  absolutely  useless  to  Ser- 

331187 


geant  Smith  in  leading  his  squad.  This  work  is  not  an 
academic  discussion  of  night  movements  in  general, 
but  is  full  of  valuable  practical  hints  on  the  training  of 
the  small  units  that  go  to  make  up  the  great  military 
machine;  hints  not  evolved  from  the  inner  conscious- 
ness, but  ideas  stamped  in  the  mind  by  actual  experi- 
ences of  nights  on  Manchurian  battlefields. 

Due  perhaps  to  national  characteristics,  Japanese 
army  training  of  all  kinds  proceeds  along  more  exact 
and  minute  lines  than  is  usual  in  our  own  service .  While 
many  may  consider  that  this  work  errs  in  that  direction, 
it  would  be  well  to  consider  carefully  the  necessity  for 
such  careful  training  in  the  most  delicate  of  all  military 
movements.  If  Private  Brown  has  not  been  thoroughly 
trained  and  accustomed  to  night  movements,  he  is 
sure  to  make  mistakes ;  multiply  him  by  a  hundred  or  a 
thousand,  and  the  margin  of  safety  for  success  will 
become  rather  slim,  to  say  the  least. 

This  work  has  been  translated  at  odd  times  in  the 
press  of  much  other  work  of  the  same  general  character. 
For  this  reason  there  has  been  no  time  to  spend  on  nice- 
ties of  expression  or  in  polishing  up  the  English ;  and 
indeed  I  am  not  sure  but  that  following  the  author's 
words  rather  closely  does  not  more  than  compensate 
for  faulty  diction.  If  the  meaning  can  be  comprehended 
I  shall  be  satisfied  and  beg  indulgence  for  all  the  things 
lacking. 

Tokyo,  Japan. 

October,  1913. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE. 

I.    PSYCHOLOGICAL  ACTION  AT  NIGHTTIME 13 

Night  and  morbid  watchfulness,  p.  13 ;  night 
and  illusions,  p.  14;  at  night,  suggestion  is 
easy,  p.  14;  night  brings  out  the  weak  points 
of  the  individual,  p.  15. 

II.  IMPORTANT  MEASURES  WHICH  CORRECT  UNFAV- 

ORABLE PSYCHOLOGICAL  ACTION  AT  NlGHT 16 

At  night,  especially,  strict  discipline  is  neces- 
sary, p.  16;  a  high  morale  and  a  firm  defensive 
spirit,  p.  16;  silence  in  night  movements, 
p.  17;  night  and  massed  formations,  p.  18; 
night  movements  and  self-confidence,  p.  18; 
night  movements  and  self-possession,  p.  19. 

III.  How  TO  DRESS 19 

The  requirements  of  dress,  p.  19;  order  of 
dressing,  p.  20;  peace  time  preparations — 
preparedness,  p.  21. 

IV.  TRAINING  IN  DRESSING 21 

Occasions,  p.  21;  orderly  methods,  p.  22; 
number  of  times  practiced,  p.  22. 

V.  NIGHT  AND  VISION 23 

Importance  of  cultivating  the  vision  at 
night,  p.  23;  vision  at  night  can  be  improved 
by  training,  p.  23;  night  vision — detecting 
and  losing  sight  of,  p.  24;  night  vision  and 
objects  and  color  of  surrounding  objects,  p. 
24;  night  vision  and  relation  of  light  and 
shadow,  p.  25;  relation  of  the  seasons  to 
night  vision,  p.  25;  night  vision  and  our  own 
posture,  p.  26;  night  vision  and  field  glasses, 
p.  26. 


PAGE. 

VI.    METHOD  OF  TRAINING  NIGHT  VISION 26 

General  principles,  p. -26;  important  points 
of  training,  p.  27;  methods  of  training,  p.  28; 
experiments,  p.  29. 

VIL    HEARING  AT  NIGHT 30 

Character  of  the  ground  and  sound,  p.  30; 
kinds  of  covering  substances,  p.  30;  the  size 
of  the  detachment  and  the  relative  weight 
of  materials,  p.  31;  weather,  p.  31. 

VIII.    TRAINING  IN  HEARING  AT  NIGHT 32 

Important  points  to  be  considered,  p.  32; 
the  march  of  infantry,  p.  32;  the  march  of 
cavalry,  p.  32;  the  march  of  artillery,  p.  32; 
the  noise  of  intrenching,  p.  33;  methods,  p. 
33;  inferences  to  be  drawn  from  sounds, 
p.  34. 

IX.    QUIET  MARCH  AT  NIGHT 35 

Importance,  p.  35;  important  cautions  in  a 
night  march,  p.  35. 

X.    TRAINING  IN  QUIET  MARCHES  AT  NIGHT 37 

Dress,  p.  37;  order  of  training,  p.  37;  method 
of  carrying  out  the  above  training,  p.  37; 
cautions,  p.  37. 

XL    THE  CROSSING  OF  ROUGH  GROUND  AT  NIGHT....    38 
Importance  of  practice,  p.  38;  summary,  p. 
38. 

XII.    TRAINING   IN   CROSSING   ROUGH   GROUND  AT 

NIGHT 39 

Clothing,  p.  39;  order  of  training,  p.  39 

XIII.  DETERMINATION  OF  DIRECTION  AT  NIGHT 40 

Importance,  p.  40;  methods  of  determining 
direction,  p.  40;  by  fixed  stars,  p.  40;  by  the 
moon,  p.  42;  by  the  map,  p.  42;  by  compass, 
p.  42;  other  methods,  p.  42. 

XIV.  TRAINING  IN  DETERMINING  DIRECTION 43 

How  to  find  the  north  star  and  how  to  use  it, 
p.  43;  method  by  compass,  p.  43. 


PAGE. 

XV.    METHOD  OF  MAKING  A  LIGHT  AT  NIGHT 44 

Importance,  p.  44;  manner  of  making  a  light, 
p.  44;  individual  training,  p.  45. 

XVI.    CONNECTION  AND  CONNECTING  FILES  AT  NIGHT..    45 
Methods,  p.  45;  by  sound,  p.  45;  by  signals, 
p.  46;    connecting  files,  p.  47;    messengers, 
p.  48;  relays,  p.  53. 

XVII.    NIGHT  FIRING 55 

Cautions  for  individuals,  p.  55. 

XVIII.    TRAINING  IN  NIGHT  FIRING 55 

Horizontal  firing  and  posture,  p.  55;  method 
and  order  of  training,  p.  56;  formation,  p.  56; 
opportunities  for  training,  p.  56;  methods, 
p.  56. 

XIX.  NIGHT  BAYONET  EXERCISES 57 

Importance  of  such  drill,  p.  57;  cautions  in 
the  use  of  the  bayonet  at  night,  p.  57. 

XX.  TRAINING  IN  NIGHT  BAYONET  FENCING 58 

Scope  of  training,  p.  58;  method  of  training, 
p.  58;  against  dummy  figures,  p.  58;  funda- 
mental training,  p.  58. 

XXI.  NIGHT  INTRENCHING 59 

Importance,  p.  59;  important  points  in  train- 
ing, p.  59. 

XXII.    TRAINING  IN  NIGHT  INTRENCHING 61 

Methods,  p.  61;  cautions,  p.  61. 

XXIII.    METHODS  OF  RECOGNIZING  FRIENDLY  TROOPS 

AT  NIGHT 62 

Importance,  p.  62;  methods  of  recognition, 
p.  62;  disadvantages  of  speech,  p.  62;  suit- 
able methods  of  recognition,  p.  63. 

XXIV.  NIGHT  DEMOLITION  WORK 63 

Training,  p.  63;  requisites  for  demolition 
work,  p.  63;  important  principles  of  demoli- 
tion work,  p.  64 5  methods  of  training,  p.  64. 


PAGE. 
XXV.    METHODS  OF  USING  HAND  GRENADES  AT  NIGHT..    64 

XXVI.    NIGHT  SENTINELS 65 

Training,  p.  65;  position  of  sentinels,  p.  65; 
posture,  p.  67;  reconnaissance,  p.  67;  chal- 
lenging, p.  68;  firing,  p.  68;  reports,  p.  70; 
connection,  p.  70;  friendly  patrols,  p.  72; 
reliefs,  p.  73. 

XXVII.    TRAINING  OF  NIGHT  SENTINELS 74 

Amount  of  light,  p.  74;  terrain,  p.  74;  senti- 
nels and  squads,  p.  74;  example  of  such  train- 
ing, p.  75;  character  of  such  training,  p.  76. 

XXVIII.    NIGHT  PATROLS 77 

Methods  of  connection,  p.  77;  methods  of 
maintaining  direction,  p.  77;  methods  of  pas- 
sing and  reconnaissance  of  various  terrain  and 
physical  objects,  p.  79;  indications,  p.  82; 
reconnaissance  of  the  enemy's  line  of  sen- 
tinells,  p.  83;  night  patrols  and  quiet,  p.  84; 
night  patrols  and  their  roads,  p.  84;  recon- 
naissance and  recollection  of  terrain,  p.  84. 

XXIX.    NIGHT  HIDDEN  PATROLS....' 85 

Suitable  characteristics,  p.  86;  distribution, 
p.  86;  position,  p.  87. 

XXX.    TRAINING  OF  NIGHT  PATROLS 87 

Training  and  terrain,  p.  87;  methods  of  train- 
ing, p.  87. 

XXXI.     MOVEMENTS  OF  A  DETACHMENT  AT  NIGHT 90 

Leadership  at  night,  p.  90;  to  accustom 
troops  to  change  of  formation  at  night,  p.  92; 
individual  cautions  in  movements  by  squad, 
p.  93. 

XXXII.    TRAINING  IN  SQUAD  MOVEMENTS  AT  NIGHT 94 

Orders,  p.  94;  night  movements  and  strict- 
ness, p.  94. 

XXXIII.    A  SQUAD'S  NIGHT  FIRING , 94 

Whe'n  carried  out,  p.  94;  important  points  in 
the  preparation  for  night  firing,  p.  95; 


PAGE. 

method  of  firing,  p.  98;  collective  and  in- 
dividual fire,  p.  99. 

XXXIV.     METHOD  OF  TRAINING  IN  SQUAD  FIRING  AT 

NIGHT 99 

Orders  and  methods  of  training,  p.  99. 

XXXV.    SQUAD  NIGHT  INTRENCH  ME  NTS 99 

Method  of  tracing,  p.  99;  methods  relative 
to  the  line  of  trace,  p.  100;  cautions  for  in- 
dividual soldiers  and  execution  of  work,  p. 
100;  method  of  filling  sandbags  and  in- 
trenchments  in  which  used,  p.  100. 

XXXVI.    METHOD  OF  TRAINING  IN  NIGHT  INTRENCHING..  102 

XXXVII.    TRAINING  AND  METHOD  OF  PASSING  OBSTACLES 

AT  NIGHT 103 

Importance  of  passing  obstacles  by  detach- 
ment, p.  103;  cautions  for  the  Commanding 
Officer  with  respect  to  obstacles,  p.  103; 
cautions  for  soldiers  when  crossing  obstacles, 
p.  104. 

XXXVIII.    NIGHT  MARCHES  AND  TRAINING 105 

Occasions  when  night  marches  are  essential, 
p.  105;  cautions  for  staff  officers,  p.  105; 
cautions  for  individual  soldiers,  p.  107; 
articles  carried  by  officers,  p.  108. 

XXXIX.    NIGHT  BATTLES— (A)    THE  OFFENSIVE 109 

Cause  of  success  in  night  attacks,  p.  109; 
cause  of  non-success  in  night  attacks,  p.  109; 
cautions  in  night  movements  (General  regula- 
tions), p.  110;  the  Commanding  Officers  and 
soldiers  in  night  attacks,  p.  Ill;  character- 
istics of  night  attacks,  p.  112;  method  of 
night  attacks,  p.  113;  night  attacks  and  arms 
of  the  service,  p.  114;  the  point  of  attack  at 
night,  p.  115;  reconnaissance  and  plans,  p. 
117;  hour  for  night  attack,  p.  118;  posi. 
tion  when  beginning  a  night  attack,  p.  119; 
night  orders  or  instructions,  p.  121;  distribu- 
tion and  formation  for  night  attacks,  p.  122; 
the  advance  to  the  attack  p.  123 ;  night  attacks 


10 


PAGE. 

and  firing,  p.  124;  preparations  against  the 
enemy's  changes  of  disposition,  p.  126;  the 
night  charge,  p.  127;  movements  after  a 
successful  charge,  p.  128;  pursuit  after  a 
night  attack,  p.  128. 

(B)    THE  DEFENSIVE 129 

Psychological  disadvantages,  p.  129;  action 
of  the  defense  at  night,  p.  130;  steps  taken 
when  anticipating  the  enemy's  night  attack, 
p.  131;  the  defender's  night  battle,  p.  131; 
steps  when  the  defender  has  driven  off  the 
enemy,  p.  132. 


TRAINING  IN  NIGHT  MOVEMENTS 

BASED  ON 

ACTUAL  EXPERIENCES' IN  WAR 


13 


I. 


PSYCHOLOGICAL  ACTION  AT  NIGHTTIME. 

From  an  educational  standpoint,  a  thorough  knowl- 
edge of  psychological  processes  at  night  is  a  most  im- 
portant matter,  because  the  weightiest  considerations 
in  night  movements  are  mental  ones.  Therefore,  I  will 
explain  this  matter  at  the  very  beginning. 

Having  seen  a  thing  with  my  own  eyes,  I  can  form 
my  judgment  concerning  it;  by  knowing  that  there 
is  no  danger  to  my  own  body,  I  will  be  calm.  On  account 
of  my  being  calm,  there  will  be  no  uncertainty ;  on  ac- 
count of  there  being  no  uncertainty,  all  things,  neces- 
sarily, will  be  clear.  In  order  that  there  may  be  that 
clearness,  a  broad  field  of  view  and  a  clear  understand- 
ing of  facts  are  necessary.  However,  at  nighttime,  a 
person  is  not  able  to  see  his  surroundings;  accordingly 
it  is  only  natural  that  there  should  be  uncertainty.  One 
cannot  know  when  there  will  be  danger  in  the  darkness 
just  a  little  ways  ahead.  In  such  cases  there  is  a  feeling 
of  apprehension,  of  doubt  and  uncertainty,  and  finally 
there  is  extremely  cautious  watchfulness  and  fear.  In 
short,  at  nighttime,  the  mind  is  agitated  and  excited. 

Night  and  Morbid  Watchfulness. — Attention  is  the 
term  applied  to  a  condition  of  affairs  when  the  con- 
sciousness is  concentrated  on  certain  substances  or 
certain  ideas.  At  night,  as  the  field  of  view  is  very 
limited,  great  attention  must  be  paid  to  the  multitude 
of  surrounding  objects;  if  this  is  not  done,  one  will 
quickly  fall  into  danger.  In  the  presence  of  the  enemy, 
how  much  more  must  the  amount  of  watchfulness,  on 


14 

account  of  its  relation  to  life  and  death,  give  rise  to 
the  greatest  of  care — and  one  becomes  unable  to  dis- 
tinguish between  fact  and  fancy.  As  a  result  of  too 
much  care  and  concentration,  what  has  hitherto  been 
imagination  almost  ceases  to  be  such,  and  approaches 
reality.  The  imagination  is  so  vivid  that  unreal  things 
seem  real. 

Night  and  Illusions. — At  night,  illusion  is  easy ;  there 
are  various  kinds  of  such  illusions,  as : 

1.  Confusion  which  arises  from  an  error  of  the 
senses. 

2.  An  illusion  which  forms  a  mistaken  impression 
through  not  having  made  a  proper  impression  on  the 
senses. 

3.  An  illsuion  arising  entirely  from  confusion  of 
mind. 

At  nighttime,  illsuions  very  often  arise.  For  ex- 
ample, white  clothes  hanging  on  willow  trees,  or  white 
flags  in  a  cemetery,  become  ghosts;  an  old  rope  in  the 
grasss  seems  a  snake ;  tall  pillars,  or  bundles  of  Manchu- 
rian  millet,  an  enemy,  etc. 

In  the  presence  of  the  enemy,  such  illusions  are 
dangerous. 

At  Night,  Suggestion  is  Easy. — Whenever  the  mind 
is  agitated,  the  nerves  also  become  keen.  Insignificant 
causes,  also,  have  the  power  to  suggest  things  quickly. 
These  suggestions  are  of  various  kinds — imitative,  in* 
ductive,  synchronic,  etc.  On  account  of  such  sugges- 
tions, confusion,  mistakes,  false  reports,  etc.,  in  one  de- 
tachment, will  extend  quickly  to  the  entire  body.  On 
this  account  there  are  not  a  few  examples  where  a  single 
soldier  at  nighttime,  who  fancied  that  he  saw  an  enemy, 


15 

quickly  gave  the  whole  force  the  impression  that  there 
was,  in  reality,  an  enemy  present.  Again,  if  one  per- 
son unexpectedly  lays  down,  or  halts,  those  accompany- 
ing him,  not  understanding  the  reason  for  his  action, 
in  their  uncertainty,  do  the  same.  Did  not  such  a 
thing  cause  the  rout  of  the  Heishi  clan  at  Fushigawa? 

At  first,  probably  hearing  the  noise  of  a  flying  bird 
and  thinking  it  was  the  enemy,  the  movement  or  cry 
of  a  single  man  extended  to  the  whole  army.  During 
the  Japanese-Russian  War,  a  detachment  of  the  Russian 
army  in  a  seacoast  fortification  was  thrown  into  dis- 
order on  account  of  one  or  two  men  in  front  crying  out 
that  there  was  a  night  attack,  thereby  causing  the  whole 
force  to  fall  into  disorder. 

Night  Brings  out  the  Weak  Points  of  the  Individual.— 
A  state  of  uncertainty  at  night  gives  rise  to  the  idea  of 
danger ;  from  this  there  develops  a  state  of  fear.  Man- 
kind, in  crowds,  has  an  excessive  mental  action.  That 
is,  a  crowd  is  conscious  of  vast  power;  hence,  certain 
movements,  though  difficult  for  the  individual,  will  be 
bravely  carried  out  by  several  men  together.  While 
one  man  is  fearful  and  uncertain,  a  number  of  men 
together,  will  enter  into  the  movement  almost  without 
consideration.  Therefore,  at  night,  although  one  man, 
alone,  will  be  afraid,  several  together  will  show  no  in- 
decision whatever.  This  fact  should  be  borne  in  mind 
in  all  night  movements. 

In  the  matter  of  mental  phenomena,  the  man  who 
has  weak  points  in  the  daytime  will  be  spurred  on  by 
vanity,  love  of  fame,  or  perhaps  by  a  self-denying 
spirit;  but  when  night  comes,  on  account  of  the  lack 
or  the  slackness  of  supervision  of  his  officers  and  com- 
rades, the  individual  weakness  will  quickly  show.  It 


16 

is  not  a  good  thing  to  leave  the  individual  without 
supervision  at  night,  neither  is  it  a  good  thing  to  place 
him  in  such  circumstances  as  will  bring  out  these  weak- 
nesses. 


II. 


IMPORTANT     MEASURES    WHICH     CORRECT  UNFAVORABLE 
PSYCHOLOGICAL  ACTION  AT  NIGHT. 

Although  nighttime  has  the  disadvantages  men- 
tioned above,  there  will  be  times  when  it  will  be  abso- 
lutely necessary  to  employ  soldiers  individually.  It  is, 
therefore,  necessary  to  train  them  so  that  the  evils  due 
to  fits  of  characteristic  weaknesses  will  never  arise. 

At  Night,  Especially,  Strict  Discipline  is  Necessary. 
— Nighttime  is  the  touchstone  which  determines  the 
value  of  an  army.  As  supervision  is  difficult,  strict 
discipline  is  necessary.  The^greatest  influence^ of 
discipline  is  to  repress  the  weaknesses  which  grow  out  of 
individuality,  and  to  prevent  the  expression  of  those 
weaknesses.  An  army  which  does  not  have  good  dis- 
cipline at  night,  will  completely  fall  to  pieces.  If  the 
individual  is  allowed  to  follow  his  own  desires,  an  army 
is  ruined.  Therefore,  successful  night  operations  de- 
mand the  strictest  discipline;  it  is  such  discipline  that 
spurs  night  operations  to  success. 

A  High  Morale  and  a  Firm  Offensive  Spirit. — Mental 
agitation  depends  upon  the  state  of  morale.  If  the 
morale  be  high,  there  will  be  no  such  agitation;  there- 
fore, the  evils,  i.  e.,  the  mental  phenomena  previously 
described,  will  not  arise.  In  general,,  a  negative  mind 
always  acts  unfavorably;  therefore,  in  the  case  of  in- 


17 

dividuals  whose  morale  is  low  and  who  are  negative  in 
principle,  the  following  psychological  action  will  arise : 

1.  A  morbid  watchfulness. 

2.  Illusions. 

3.  Suggestions. 

4.  Weak  points  of  individual  character. 
Therefore,  a  high  morale  is  necessarily  required  to 

successfully  overcome  such  weaknesses.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  a  high  morale  is  the  foundation  of  successful 
night  operations.  A  person  with  a  high  morale  does  not 
stand  by  passively,  but  acts,  perhaps  unconsciously, 
'in  a  positive  manner. 

Silence  in  Night  Movements. — Silence  causes  an  agi- 
tated mind  to  become  cool ;  on  the  contrary,  disorder 
causes  more  confusion.  Although,  at  times,  it  is  both 
a  material  and  abstract  advantage  to  powerfully  excite 
a  man  in  order  to  drive  him  toward  a  certain  objective, 
the  importance  of  maintaining  silence  at  night,  must 
not  be  lost  sight  of.  There  are,  naturally,  two  reasons 
for  this,  viz : 

1.  In  order  not  to  be  discovered  by  the  enemy. 

2.  In  order  to  avoid  falling  into  confusion,  your- 
self. 

At  night,  as  it  is  impossible  to  discriminate  by  sight, 
judgment  must  be  formed  from  the  sounds  heard. 
However,  in  what  way  will  an  ordinary  sound  which 
arises  in  one  detachment,  be  transmitted  to  others, 
especially  in  the  case  of  those  detachments  who  hear  this 
disquieting  sound  and  already  believe  themselves  in 
danger  ? 


18 

Therefore,  at  night,  in  order  not  to  be  discovered  by 
the  enemy,  as  well  as  to  prevent  falling  into  disorder, 
yourself,  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to  remain  quiet. 

Night  and  Massed  Formation. — On  account  of  its 
large  numbers,  great  things  can  be  accomplished  with  a 
massed  force ;  for  the  self-consciousness  of  great  strength 
causes  great  energy.  At  night,  a  large  massed  force 
destroys  those  individual  characteristics,  the  various 
evils  of  which  I  have  already  clearly  explained.  On 
account  of  the  difficulty  of  leadership,  communication 
and  contact,  confusion  and  separation  are  easy.  From 
a  psychological  standpoint,  as  well,  it  is  advantageous 
to  avoid  the  distribution  of  columns,  and  to  use  the  close 
columns  instead.  A  brave,  determined  advance  is  of 
special  importance  in  night  movements. 

Night  Movements  and  Self-confidence. — Self-con- 
fidence is  the  foundation  of  bravery ;  it  is  the  requisite  of 
a  high  morale.  If  one  wishes  to  obtain  self-confidence, 
there  must  be  no  indecision;  in  order  that  there  may 
be  no  indecision,  there  must  be  no  obscurity.  There- 
fore it  follows  that  conditions  should  be  clearly  under- 
stood, and  that  we  become  rich  in  experience.  That  is 
the  reason  why  thoroughness  of  reconnaissance,  obser- 
vation, and  training  are  particularly  necessary  for  night 
movements.  If  the  state  of  the  enemy  as  well  as  the 
terrain  be  well  known,  and  if  the  troops  be  well  trained 
in  night  movements,  there  will  be  no  indecision,  and 
the  movement  can  be  carried  out  by  methods  and  means 
which  may  be  deemed  best.  A  thing  carried  out  in  the 
belief  that  success  is  certain,  will  be  carried  out  in  a 
recklessly  brave  manner;  that  is  the  reason  for  the 
necessity  of  self-confidence  at  night. 


19 

Night  Movements  and  Self-possession. — At  night,  one 
cannot  tell  at  what  distance  or  at  what  time  there  will 
be  personal  danger.  If  the  enemy  be  heard,  the  danger 
seems  the  same  whether  he  be  a  hundred,  or  only  ten 
paces  away.  Therefore,  a  person  of  negative  spirit 
feels  the  enemy  pressing  upon  him,  even  though  in 
reality,  he  is  far  away;  and  an  imaginary  enemy  be- 
comes the  same  as  a  real  one.  Therefore,  in  order  not 
to  make  rash  and  disorderly  movements,  causes  must 
be  judged  cooly. 


III. 

HOW    TO    DRESS. 


The  Requirements  of  .Dr^ss.—  Dress  must  conform  to 
the  following  requirements: 

1.  Speed. 

2.  Propriety. 

3.  Reliability. 

To  carry  out  these  requirements,  training  is  neces- 
sary. It  is  a  bad  thing  to  attach  too  great  weight  to 
speed  at  first,  and  make  light  of  propriety  and  relia- 
bility. Therefore,  at  first,  the  following  requirements 
must  be  observed  : 

1.  Do  not  demand  useless  rapidity,   but  rather 
coolness. 

2.  Proper  arrangement. 

3.  As  far  as  possible,  quiteness  should  be  preserved. 
The  necessary  things  should  be  taken  from  their  fixed 
places  only  when  about  to  be  put  on,  so  as  to  avoid 
confusion. 


20 

Coolness. — More  haste,  less  speed.  If  one  be  con- 
fused, he  will  mistake  the  proper  order  or  forget  import- 
ant things,  and  sometimes  it  will  be  necessary  to  change 
what  has  already  been  put  on. 

Order. — Order  is  the  shortest  road,  and  if  followed, 
there  will  be  nothing  forgotten.  However  hurried  one 
may  be,  it  is  important  not  to  curtail  or  change  the  order ; 
therefore,  it  is  necessary  to  plan  carefully,  the  most 
suitable  order  of  procedure — a  practical  impossibility 
for  one  without  experience.  For  these  reasons,  it  is  a 
good  thing  to  fix  a  suitable  order  of  procedure,  and  carry 
it  out  strictly. 

Quietness. — At  night,  quietness  is  very  necessary, 
especially  in  the  proximity  of  the  enemy.  Therefore, 
it  is  important,  in  time  of  peace,  to  demand  quietness, 
and  to  carry  out  such  a  training  that  there  will  be  no 
talking  or  noise.  If  the  soldier  has  had  this  training,  it 
is  an  easy  thing  to  remain  quiet.  If  he  has  not,  it  is  a 
very  difficult  matter.  While  a  sudden  demand  for 
quiet  is  no  hardship  upon  persons  accustomed  to  it,  it  is 
most  irksome  to  those  who  are  not  so  accustomed  to  it. 

Order  of  Dressing. — In  order  that  dressing  may  pro- 
gress smoothly,  a  proper  order  is  necessary.  In  this 
order,  it  is  important  that  mind  and  hand  follow  natural 
movements.  The  following  example  of  correct  pro- 
cedure is  from  my  own  experience : 

1.  Clothing,  shoes  and  leggins  will  be  worn  and  put 
on  in  the  following  order:    socks,   trousers,   leggins, 
blouse,  cap. 

2 .  Hang  haversack  and  water  bottle  over  the  shoul- 
der. 


21 

3.  Place  the  required  articles  in  the  knapsack,  roll 
the  overcoat;  attach  tools,  spare  shoes,  and  mess  tin 
to  the  knapsack,  and  put  it  on. 

4.  Take  the  rifle  in  the  hand  (at  this  time,  take  off 
the  muzzle  cover  and  place  it  in  its  prescribed  place) . 

Although  there  are  times  when  this  order  will  not 
be  adhered  to,  and  it  will  be  necessary  to  arrange  the 
clothing  so  as  to  take  rifle  and  ammunition  first,  the 
habit  of  handling  these  articles  in  their  proper  order  in 
time  of  peace  is  most  necessary. 

Peace  Time  Preparations — Preparedness. — During 
peace  time,  weapons,  clothing  and  equipment  are  nat- 
urally arranged  in  a  prescribed  place  in  barracks. 
Each  article  should  be  so  arranged  that  the  soldier  will 
put  his  hand  on  it  naturally,  even  in  the  darkness,  or 
in  emergencies.  On  account  of  the  articles  being  in  a 
fixed  place,  the  soldier  often  does  not  realize  the  ad- 
vantage of  being  able  to  grasp  them  readily.  If  the 
difficulty  of  searching  for  obscure  articles  in  the  dark  be 
considered,  one  must  realize  the  great  advantage  of 
being  able  to  reach  them  naturally  and  easily.  Accord- 
ingly, while  resting  on  the  march,  in  camp,  billet,  or 
bivouac,  articles  will  always  be  arranged  in  an  orderly 
manner,  so  that  they  may  be  seized  quickly  and  cer- 
tainly. 


IV. 


TRAINING   IN    DRESSING. 

Occasions. — This  training  should  be  carried  out  at 
the  same  time  as  the  ordinary  day  training.  There  are 
two  opportunities  for  this : 


22 

1.  At  the  time  of  changing  the  daytime  course  of 
training. 

2.  It  can  be  carried  out  especially  as  a  drill  in  dress- 
ing. 

In  the  first  instance,  have  the  men  dress  in  a  fixed 
place,  with  each  article  in  a  special  place.  It  is  im- 
portant to  employ  the  time  so  as  not  to  enroach  upon 
time  allotted  to  other  drills. 

Orderly  Methods. — In  the  second  instance,  the  fol- 
lowing points  are  important  : 

1.  A  comprehension  of  the  method  of  dressing. 
While  explaining  this  in  barracks,  or  in  a  fixed  position, 
give  a  signal  by  a  whistle,  and  say:     "Now  put  on  such 
and  such  a  thing."     While  assistants  instruct  and  in- 
spect the  men,  teach  them  the  basic  principles  of  what 
they  are  doing. 

2.  Make  them  dress,  unexpectedly,  in  daytime. 

3.  Explain  the  method  of  dressing  at  night. 

4.  Make  them  dress,  unexpectedly,  at  night. 

By  such  a  method  of  training,  the  objective  may  be 
•.-attained.  At  this  time,  without  fail,  coolness,  order 
and  quiet  must  be  maintained.  At  first,  pay  no  atten- 
tion to  the  time  consumed ;  after  a  little  while,  demand 
more  speed,  and  finally  have  the  movement  executed  at 
the  rate  desired. 

Number  of  Times  Practiced. — Whenever  an  army 
is  accustomed  to  a  certain  manner  of  dressing  in  its 
daily  life,  the  dressing  is  not  a  difficult  matter.  On  that 
account,  time  is  not  specially  allotted  for  such  training, 
but  practice  will  be  had  whenever  there  is  a  good 
opportunity.  However,  the  following  important  princi- 
ples must  not  be  forgotten: 


23 

1.  To  guard  against  negligence. 

2.  To  review  the  methods  of  dressing. 

For  this  reason,  it  should  be  practiced  every  month 
or  so,  and  whenever  the  men  become  careless  about  it. 


V. 


NIGHT  AND  VISION. 

Importance  of  Cultivating  the  Vision  at  Night. — At 
night,  one  is  able  to  see  according  to  the  degree  of 
darkness.  The  amount  of  vision  also  differs  naturally 
and  it  is  important  to  know  the  amount  under  various 
circumstances.  Especially  is  this  true  under  circum- 
stances where  the  judgment  cannot  be  formed  by 
hearing,  i.  e.,  in  rainy  weather,  or  under  other  noisy 
conditions,  where  vision,  though  insufficient,  is  superior 
to  hearing.  Therefore,  the  training  of  the  eye  at  night 
is  a  most  important  matter,  as,  to  a  certain  degree,  it 
can  be  strengthened  by  experience  and  practice.  In  the 
Japanese-Russian  War,  the  judgment  by  sight  of  soldiers 
accustomed  to  the  terrain  and  to  night  movements, 
was  surprisingly  good,  and  was  entirely  due  to  experi- 
ence. 

Vision  at  Night  Can  Be  Improved  by  Training. — One 
accustomed  to  night  movements,  compared  to  one  not 
so  accustomed,  is  much  more  able  to  form  correct 
judgments  by  sight ;  for  experience  sharpens  the  nerves 
and  increases  the  faculty  of  attention.  From  indica- 
tions, from  methods  of  comparison,  together  with  other 
assisting  factors,  one's  judgment  soon  becomes  accu- 
rate. 


24 

Night  Vision — Detecting  and  Losing  Sight  of. — Vision 
at  night  differs  in  degree,  also,  according  to  the  con- 
centration of  attention;  in  this  connection,  the  follow- 
ing principles  are  from  my  own  experience : 

1.  When  you  follow  with  your  eyes  a  thing  once 
discovered,  you  will  be  able  to  see  it  for  a  long  distance. 

2.  The  distance  at  which  you  first  discover  an  ob- 
ject, is  less  than  the  distance  where  you  loose  sight  of 
it.     Therefore,  at  night,  when  you  lose  sight   of  an 
object  you  have  once  discovered,  it  is  difficult  to  find  it  a 
second  time.     When  you  follow  it  with  your  eye  vision 
is  easy,  -and  the  distance  at  which  the  object  is  visible 
becomes  much  greater,  especially  if  there  are  supple- 
mentary indications.     In  such  a  case  a  thing  liable  to  be 
unnoticed,  will  be  seen  by  the  observer. 

Night  Vision  and  Objects,  and  the  Color  of  Surround- 
ing Objects. — The  color  of  the  dress  has  great  bearing 
on  vision;  and  I  have  learned  the  following  facts  from 
my  own  observation: 

1 .  On  a  dark  night  a  white  coat  can  be  seen  farther 
than  a  black  one. 

2.  When  there  is  moonlight,  often  a  black  coat 
can  be  seen  farther  than  a  white  one. 

3.  In  any  case,  a  light  brown  or  mouse  color  can 
be  seen  a  long  distance. 

4.  A  black  color  against  a  black  background  is 
more  difficult  to  see  than  white;  the  latter  against 
white  surroundings  is  more  difficult  than  black. 

From  these  facts,  the  importance  of  bearing  in  mind 
the  color  of  surrounding  objects  when  fixing  the  kind 
of  dress,  or  determining  one's  movements,  is  apparent. 


25 

Night  Vision  and  Relations  of  Light  and  Shadow. — 
Night  vision  differs  greatly  according  to  one's  position 
relative  to  a  luminous  body  and  shadow : 

1.  When  a  luminous  body,  such  as  the  moon,  is 
faced,  vision  is  decreased. 

2.  When  the  light  is  behind,  vision  is  increased. 

3.  When  a  luminous  body  is  overhead,  the  mean 
of  increase  and  decrease  is  the  same. 

4.  Even  though  facing  the  light,  if  it  does  not 
strike  the  eyes  directly,  it  injures  vision  but  little. 

5.  One  can  see  when  looking  from  darkness  into 
light,  but  not  when  looking  from  light  into  darkness. 

6.  While  holding  the  light  yourself,  only  your  own 
surroundings  can  be  seen. 

7.  When  a  light  is  behind  an  object,  the  latter 's 
outlines  are  clearly  visible. 

8.  A  black  object  or  a  moving  object  covered  by 
shadow,  is  difficult  to  see. 

9.  Small  objects  seem  far  away,  and  large  ones 
seem   near. 

10.  Bright  objects  appear  near,  and  obscure  ones, 
far  away. 

The  above  facts  teach  one  that,  when  covered  by 
dark  objects,  or  when  moving  in  the  shadow,  to  look 
at  the  bright  side  from  the  dark  as  much  as  possible, 
and  not  have  the  light  directly  in  front. 

Relation  of  the  Seasons  to  Night  Vision. — 

1.  In  level,  open  country,  the  field  of  view  is  ex- 
tensive. 

2.  In  close  country,  the  opposite  is  true. 


26 

Accordingly,  from  late  in  the  autumn  until  the 
beginning  of  spring,  on  account  of  the  grass  having 
withered  and  the  leaves  fallen  the  field  of  view  is  ex- 
tensive. From  late  in  the  spring  until  early  autumn 
on  account  of  the  luxuriant  grass  and  trees,  the  field 
of  view  is  restricted.  During  the  Manchurian  winter 
(in  level  country),  the  field  of  view  is  greater  than  in 
Japan.  In  mountainous  localities,  trees  are  few,  com- 
pared to  Japan,  and  the  field  of  view  is  correspondingly 
greater. 

Night  Vision  and  our  own  Posture. — In  looking  at 
objects  which  have  ground  objects  in  their  rear,  a  stand- 
ing posture  is  advisable;  without  such  objects  in  rear, 
a  low  posture  is  best.  Therefore,  to  avoid  being  seen, 
take  a  low  posture;  if  moving,  keep  physical  objects  in 
your  rear.  Even  though  such  objects  be  distant,  they 
will  be  of  great  assistance. 

Night  Vision  and  Field  Glasses. — Whenever  there 
is  light  at  night  from  moon  or  stars,  and  at  twilight  and 
dawn,  field  glasses  will  double  the  power  of  vision. 
However,  as  the  glasses  narrow  the  field  of  view,  it  is 
dangerous  to  depend  upon  them,  except  to  confirm  a 
thing  already  seen,  or  when  the  locality  in  which  the 
object  to  be  seen,  will  appear  and  move,  is  fixed. 


VI. 


METHOD  OF  TRAINING  NIGHT  VISION. 

General  Principles. — In  this  training,  have  the  men 
learn  thoroughly  the  preceding  principles.  After  they 
have  become  somewhat  experienced,  teach  them  the 
subject  of  relative  vision  under  all  kinds  of  circum- 


27 

stances.  This  will  give  them  a  suitable  standard  of 
judgment;  and  it  is  most  necessary  that  the  soldier 
have  various  kinds  of  experiences,  so  that  he  may  learn 
how  to  act  when  alone. 

Important  Points  of  Training. — 

1.  The  execution  of  movements  at  night,  without 
reference  to  the  amount  of  light.     In  this  case,  the  fol- 
lowing training  is  suggested  for  the  vision : 

(a)  A  single  soldier  moving  quietly,  first  toward  the 
soldier  under  instruction,  and  second  away  from  him. 
The  reason  for  the  quiet  movement  is  to  prevent  any 
assistance  from  sound,  thus  training  the  soldier  in  rela- 
tive vision. 

(b)  A  single  moving  soldier  allowing  some  noise, 
such  as  the  noise  of  the  bayonet  scabbard,  water  in  the 
canteen,  footsteps,   etc.,  first  toward  the  man  under 
instruction,  and  second  away  from  him. 

(c)  A  single  soldier  in  different  colored  clothing, 
both  toward  and  away  from  the  man  under  instruction. 

(d)  After  a  little  while,  increase  the  number  of 
soldiers  and  have  them  move  under  the  following  con- 
ditions:    1.     Quietly;  2.     Under  ordinary  conditions; 
3.     With  different  colored  clothing;  Toward  the  one 
under  instruction    (discovery),    and    away   from   him 
(losing  sight  of) . 

(e)  With  a  squad  under  the   same  conditions  as 
paragraph  (d) . 

2 .  Taking  the  light  into  consideration. 

(a)  With  the  light  (moon,    lantern,   etc.),   above 
and  in  the  rear. 

(b)  With  the  light  at  a  high  place  in  the  front. 


28 

(c)  With  the  light  in  rear  of  the  object  to  be  seen. 

(d)  When  the  object  to  be  seen  bears  the  light. 

(e)  When  the  man  under  instruction  bears   the 
light. 

(f)  When  the  object  to  be  seen  is  on  the  sky-line, 
and  when  not. 

(g)  Movements  in  the  shadow. 

(h)  The  relation  between  one  hidden  by  an  ob- 
ject and  one  covered  by  a  shadow. 

The  above  practice  should  be  carried  out,  first, 
quietly;  second,  under  ordinary  conditions;  third, 
with  different  colored  uniforms. 

Methods  of  Training. — When  the  number  of  soldiers 
under  instruction  is  small,  one  instructor  supervises 
the  instruction  in  one  squad;  if  the  number  be  large, 
there  will  be  assistant  instructors  in  charge  of  each  squad. 
The  instruction  of  all  squads  will  be  carried  out  at  the 
same  time,  taking  care  that  they  be  so  placed  so  as  not 
to  interfere  with  each  other. 


29 

For  example,  place  a  squad  at  A.  From  this  squad 
send  one  man  (later  several  men)  in  the  direction  B. 
When  he  is  about  to  disappear  from  view,  halt  him  and 
estimate  the  distance.  Again,  based  on  these  princi- 
ples, send  one  man  (later,  several)  outside  the  field  of 
view,  in  the  direction  B.  with  instructions  to  advance 
toward  A.  When  he  enters  the  field  of  view,  halt  him 
and  estimate  the  distance. 

Try  these  experiments  just  mentioned  in  the  fol- 
lowing cases  and  make  each  man  judge  distance,  etc., 
for  himself,  first,  quietly;  second,  under  ordinary  con- 
ditions (singly,  several  men,  squad) ;  third,  with  different 
colored  uniforms. 

Experiments. — When  this  kind  of  training  is  finished 
cultivate  the  understanding  and  power  of  judgment  by 
movements  at  will  over  various  kinds  of  terrain  and 
under  varying  conditions  of  weather,  darkness,  etc. 
Teach  them  to  utilize  trees,  light,  terrain,  etc.,  the 
instructors  correcting  and  criticising  the  movements. 
For  example,  form  the  men  into  a  squad,  and  have 
other  soldiers,  from  a  considerable  distance  outside  the 
limit  of  vision,  move  toward  the  squad,  making  use  of 
light,  terrain,  shadows,  etc.,  as  already  explained.  The 
squad  will  watch  and  criticise  the  movements,  the  in- 
structor also  adding  his  criticism.  Suitable  occasions 
for  teaching  the  relations  of  terrain,  natural  objects, 
weather,  luminous  bodies,  etc. 


30 


VII. 


HEARING   AT   NIGHT. 

At  night,  on  account  of  the  difficulty  of  vision,  the 
ears  must  be  trained  to  listen  attentively,  and  with 
judgment ;  the  military  objective  must  be  attained  by 
a  combination  of  sight  and  hearing.  Even  when  you 
cannot  approach  an  object  close  enough  to  see  it.  In 
many  cases,  the  terrain  and  the  state  of  the  enemy  will 
enable  you  to  accomplish  your  object  by  hearing. 
Again,  in  many  cases,  hearing  enables  one  to  judge  of 
the  proximity  of  the  enemy,  and  of  his  movements. 
Therefore  the  scope  of  practical  use  of  hearing  at  night 
is  very  extensive;  and  it  is  important  that  the  hearing 
be  well  trained  so  that  one  may  be  able  to  guess  all  in- 
dications coming  from  sounds,  and  at  the  same  time 
so  plan  his  own  movements  so  as  not  to  furnish  the 
enemy  with  such  indications.  On  that  account,  it  is 
necessary  to  have  a  criterion  by  which  indications  may 
be  judged,  and  a  self-consciousness  by  which  one  can 
regulate  his  own  movements. 

The  Character  of  the  Ground  and  Sounds. — 

1.  If  the  ground  be  hard,  the  echo  is  loud. 

2.  If  the  ground  be  soft,  there  is  but  little  echo. 
That  is,  if  the  ground  be  hard,  the  noise  is  sharp ;  if 

soft,  it  is  dull. 

Kinds  of  Covering  Substances  and  Sound. — Noise 
varies  according  to  the  kind  of  covering  substance; 
therefore  it  is  very  necessary  to  know  the  relative 
amount  of  sound  when  walking  over  various  kinds  of 
ground. 


31 

The  Size  of  a  Detachment  and  the  Relative  Weight  of 
Materials. — If  a  detachment  be  large,  it  causes  a  cor- 
responding amount  of  noise;  and  can  be  heard  at  a 
distance;  if  it  be  small,  the  noise  is  small.  If  the  ma- 
terials be  heavy,  the  noise  carries  a  great  distance, 
and  if  they  be  light,  the  contrary  is  true.  These  re- 
lations are  coexistent  with  those  of  the  character  of 
the  ground. 

Weather.— 

1.  Rain  and  snow. 

(a)  When  rain  is  falling  there  are  great  differences 
in  hearing,  depending  upon  the  degree  of  rain. 

(b)  When  snow  is  falling,  the  amount  of  obstruc- 
tion to  noise,  compared  to  rain,  is  small.     When  passing 
over  snow,  it  varies  according  to  the  degree  of  freezing. 

2.  Wind.- 

(d)  When  there  is  no  wind,  conditions  are  excellent 
for  hearing,  as  sound  is  not  at  all  obstructed. 

(b)  When  the  wind  is  blowing,  conditions  are  favor- 
able for  hearing  sounds  which  occur  in  the  direction 
from  which  the  wind  is  blowing,  and  noises  can  be  heard 
at    a    long    distance.     Opposite    conditions    produce 
exactly  opposite  results. 

(c)  Wind  blowing  in  one's  ears  is  disadvantageous, 
as  the  noise  interferes  with  hearing. 

3.  Time  of  night. 

At  dead  of  night,  surrounding  noises  can  be  heard 
better  than  at  twilight  or  dawn. 

4.  Relation  of  physical  objects. 


32 

In  level  open  country,  which  has  no  trees,  buildings, 
etc.,  to  interfere  with  the  transmission  of  sound,  noises 
travel  far. 

5.     Relation  of  seasons. 

In  the  winter,  not  only  is  the  ground  frozen,  but  the 
leaves  of  plants,  trees,  etc.,  are  fallen,  the  grass  is  with- 
ered and  dead,  and  the  crops  cut  and  gathered;  there- 
fore, sounds  travel  especially  far. 

K-    - 

VIII. 

I-M 

TRAINING  IN    HEARING  AT  NIGHT. 

Important  Points  to  be  Considered. — In  the  follow- 
ing training,  have  the  men  understand  clearly  the  re- 
lations of  the  manner  of  walking,  numbers  and  clothing, 
to  the  sound  produced;  then  extend  the  training  as 
follows : 

1.  The  march  of  infantry, 
(a)     A  quiet  advance. 

(6)  Quick  time  not  in  steps  (single  soldier,  several 
men,  squad  with  and  without  arms,  in  different  kinds 
of  weather  and  over  different  kinds  of  ground). 

(c)  Quick  time  in  step,  under  same  conditions  as  (b) . 

(d)  Double  time. 

2.  March  of  cavalry. 

This  should  be  carried- out  whenever  there  is  a  good 
opportunity,  conformable  to  the  above  principles. 

3.  March  of  artillery. 

To  be  carried  out  as  in  (1). 


33 

4.     The  noise  of  intrenching. 

(a)  The  noise  of  digging  with  a  pick. 

(b)  The  noise  of  driving  a  shovel  strongly  into  the 
ground. 

(c)  The  noise  of  pushing  a  spade  into  various  kinds 
off  ground. 

(d)  The  noise  of  a  squad  carrying  on  the  work 
freely. 

Methods. — The  apportionment  of  squads  according  to 
the'number  of  men,  is  the  same  as  previously  described. 

For  example,  have  the  neces- 
AAA.^       "]g  sary   number    of   men   ad- 

vance from  the  squad  at  A, 
in  the  direction  of  B.  Hav- 
ing faced  the  squad  at  A  to 
the  rear,  have  them  listen 
to  the  noise  of  intrenching  at 
B ;  when  they  can  no  longer 

•  i  3     ^      hear  it,  halt  the  squad  at  B, 

and  estimate  the  distance. 

Again,  have  a  squad  at  B,  approach  the  squad  at  A; 
when  the  latter  can  hear  the^  noise,  have  them  estimate 
the  distance.  This  training  should  be  carried  out  with 
a  varying  number  of  men,  and  under  varying  conditions 
of  ground  and  weather.  By  such  means,  each  man,  in- 
dividually, will  learn  the  proper  pace  and  manner  of 
advance ;  the  noise  of  working,  also,  will  teach  them  how 
to  use  their  tools  with  a  minimum  of  noise.  The  fol- 
lowing exercises,  also,  are  important :  The  intrenching 
of  a  squad  (of  so  many  men)  at  what  distance  can  it 
be  heard,  (a)  in  quiet  weather,  (b)  when  the  wind  is 
favorable,  (c)  when  wind  is  unfavorable,  etc. 


34 

Inferences  to  be  drawn  from  Sound. — To  state  it 
briefly,  one  who  is  accustomed  to  noticing  sounds  at 
night,  is  able  to  form  his  judgment  of  the  causes  by 
using  the  various  inferences  that  may  be  drawn  from 
such  sounds.  For  this  reason,  such  basic  instruction 
is  very  necessary  for  soldiers ;  this  instruction,  also,  will 
give  them  a  basis  for  the  guidance  of  their  own  move- 
ments. For  this  purpose,  it  is  important  to  take  ad- 
vantage of  every  opportunity  for  instruction  in  com- 
paring the  causes  which  give  rise  to  the  sounds,  to  the 
sounds  themselves,  as  for  example,  the  march  of  a  de- 
tachment, cavalry,  wagons,  etc.  When  well  trained 
in  this,  the  soldier  will  be  able  to  guess  the  direction  of 
march,  the  approximate  position  with  reference  to  him- 
self, distance,  etc.  If  no  good  opportunities  for  such 
training  present  themselves,  while  moving  on  the  many 
roads,  or  in  their  vicinity,  listen  to  all  the  sounds  which 
arise  on  the  road  and  practice  estimating  their  causes, 
direction,  distance,  etc. 

It  is  very  necessary  to  be  able  to  judge  by  hearing, 
the  noise  of  the  enemy's  artillery  entering  a  position, 
and  the  intrenching  of  infantry.  The  Japanese-Russian 
War  taught  us  the  necessity  of  often  changing  our 
positions  to  conform  to  those  of  the  enemy  made  during 
the  night ;  and  our  only  way  of  determining  those  move- 
ments was  from  the  noise  of  batteries  going  into  position, 
intrenching,  etc. 


35 


IX. 


QUIET    MARCH   AT  NIGHT. 

Importance. — A  quiet  march  is  not  only  important 
for  the  purpose  of  taking  the  enemy  unawares,  but,  at 
the  same  time,  it  prevents  confusion  in  our  own  ranks. 
A  quiet  night  march  demands  absolute  silence  and  a 
suitable  pace.  In  the  Japanese-Russian  War,  although 
it  was  difficult  for  large  bodies  to  move  without  the 
noise  of  marching,  the  advantage  of  quiet  movements 
was  indisputably  shown.  There  are  many  cases  in 
which  an  absolutely  quiet  march  is  demanded  of  in- 
dividuals, such  as  patrols,  outposts,  etc.;  such  train- 
ing should  be  borne  in  mind  when  these  men  become 
units  of  a  larger  force. 

Important  Cautions  in  a  Night  March. — 

1.     Care  as  to  clothing. 

It  is  important  that  there  be  no  noise  from  the 
clothing  and  equipments ;  this  should  be  true  at  double 
time  as  well  as  at  quick  time.  To  carry  this  into  effect, 
the  following  points  must  be  especially  borne  in  mind : 

(a)  That  there  shall  be  no  noise  from  the  ammuni- 
tion in  the  ammunition  boxes. 

(6)  That  no  noise  arises  from  the  movements  of 
the  bayonet  scabbard. 

(c)  The  belt  must  be  kept  tight  without  fail. 

(d)  That  the  contents  of  the  haversack  make  no 
noise. 

(e)  When  the  overcoat  is  worn,  the  skirt  must  be 
fastened  up. 


36 

2.  Individual  precautions. 

(a)  When  coughing  cannot  be  prevented,  cover  the 
mouth  with  the  coat  sleeve. 

(b)  Be  careful  to  hold  the  rifle  so  that  it  will  not 
strike  the  ground. 

(c)  See  that  no  noise  arises  from  the  rifle  sling  and 
swivel. 

3.  A  detachment. 

(a)  Each  soldier  will  take  care  not  to  bump  into 
his  neighbor. 

(6)  There  will  be  no  talking  between  adjacent 
files. 

(c)  Each  soldier  will  take  care  not  to  make  it  neces- 
sary to  leave  ranks  (for  lost  clothing,  equipment,  etc.). 

4.  Manner  of  walking. 

(a)  In  short  grass,  raise  the  feet  high. 

(b)  In  long  grass,  keep  the  feet  low. 

(c)  In  climbing  a  hill,  plant  the  toe  first. 

(d)  In  descending  a  hill,  plant  the  heel  first. 

(e)  Don't  stumble  or  fall  down. 

5.  Connection. 

(a)  In  line,  conform  to  the  movements  of  the  soldier 
on  the  right  or  left  •  in  column,  on  the  soldier  in  front. 

(b)  Don't  hang  the  head;  if  this  is  done,  connec- 
tion will  surely  be  lost. 

(c)  Don't  leave  ranks,  or  halt  unnecessarily. 

(d)  At  a  halt,  close  up,  but  do  not  bump  against 
the  man  in  front. 

(e)  Listen  to  signals,  commands,  etc.,  and  be  sure 
not  to  mistake  them. 


37 


X. 


TRAINING  IN   QUIET    MARCHES  AT  NIGHT. 

Dress. — At  first,  the  training  should  be  without  arms, 
proceeding  step  by  step  until  fully  armed  and  equipped. 
"During  this  time,  the  men  must  study  how  to  prevent 
any  noise  arising  from  any  part  of  their  dress  or  equip- 
ment. 

Order  of  Training. — General  explanations  will  be 
made  to  the  men  on  the  ground  where  the  quiet  night 
march  is  to  be  made.  After  indicating  the  manner  of 
walking,  each  soldier  will  be  made  to  practice  it  under 
the  supervision  of  an  officer,  who  will  explain  the  prin- 
ciples involved.  When  these  principles  have  been 
understood,  the  number  of  men  will  be  gradually  in- 
creased, and  the  principles  of  the  quiet  march,  individu- 
ally, and  by  squad,  will  be  taught. 

Method  of  Carrying  Out  the  Above  Training. — This 
training  will  be  carried  out  at  the  same  time  and  with 
the  same  formations  as  the  training  for  hearing. 

Cautions. — Although  a  quiet  night  march  is  very 
important,  it  must  not  be  allowed  to  injure  the  offensive 
spirit.  A  quiet  movement  never  means  a  spiritless  one, 
and  it  must  be  made  clearly  evident  that  minute  care 
never  means  hesitation.  In  a  quiet  night  march  all 
noise  will  be  prohibited,  and  each  man  must  take  care 
not  to  cause  confusion  to  the  entire  command  by  his 
individual  mistakes  and  errors. 


38 


XL 


THE  CROSSING  OF  ROUGH  GROUND  AT  NIGHT. 

Importance  of  Practice. — At  night,  the  different 
ground  objects  differ  in  aspect  from  the  daytime. 
Objects,  which  in  the  day  are  no  great  obstacle,  become 
formidable  at  night.  Open  level  country  which  can  be 
easily  crossed  at  night,  cannot  be  expected  in  practice; 
accordingly,  the  crossing  of  rough  ground,  orderly, 
quickly  and  exactly,  without  confusion  and  without 
delay,  is  a  very  important  thing  for  an  army.  If  proper 
training  be  had,  such  a  movement  is  not  very  difficult ; 
training  insures  a  minimum  of  fatigue  and  disorder. 

Summary. — 

1.  As  falling  down  often  follows  a  stumble,  care 
must  be  taken  not  to  stumble.     Even  after  stumbling, 
one  is  not  liable  to  fall  down  unless  leaning  forward; 
therefore,  that  tendency  must  be  avoided. 

2.  As  falling  down  is  sometimes  unadvoidable,  the 
following  precautions  must  not  be  neglected : 

(a)  Arrange  clothing,  equipment,  etc.,  so  that  there 
will  be  nothing  lost  or  broken;  special  care  must  be 
taken  not  to  lose  the  hat. 

(6)     Not  to  drop  or  break  the  rifle. 

(c)     Not  to  talk  or  make  any  noise. 

3.  The  method  of  carrying  the  rifle  varies  with  the 
ground  and  ground  objects;  in  a  forest,  etc.,   it  is  a 
good  thing  to  carry  it  in  the  hand,  taking  proper  care 
not  to  cause  any  danger  to  the  rank  in  front. 


39 

4.  If,  while  in  a  squad,  the  soldier  only  pays  at- 
tention to  what  is  underneath  his  feet,  the  following 
disadvantages  must  occur: 

(a)  The  march  will  be  delayed. 

(b)  Collision  in  front  and  rear. 

(c)  Loss  of  connection. 

5.  When  obstacles  are  encountered,  they  will  be 
passed  in  accordance  with  the  principles  laid  down  under 
that  subject. 


XII. 


TRAINING  IN  CROSSING  ROUGH  GROUND  AT  NIGHT. 

Clothing. — In  these  movements,  care  in  the  matter 
of  dress  is  especially  important.  If  untrained  men  are 
made  to  carry  arms  from  the  very  first,  not  only  will 
the  rifles  get  broken,  but  the  men  will  sustain  personal 
injuries  as  well.  Therefore,  if  practicable,  dummy  guns 
should  be  substituted  for  the  service  rifles  in  the  early 
stages  of  the  training;  this  training  should  be  carried 
out  in  the  following  order : 

(a)  Without  arms. 

(b)  With  dummy  rifles. 

(c)  With  service  rifles. 

(d)  With  full  equipment. 

Order  of  Training.— 

1.  At  the  very  first,  the  training  should  be  in- 
dividual, allowing  an  abundance  of  time  for  the  execution 
of  the  movement ;  at  this  time  the  principles  should 
be  thoroughly  inculcated. 


40 

2.  Proceed,  in  a  short  time,  by  squad;  at  first, 
from  column  of  fours  in  single  rank  extending  to  double 
and  quadruple  ranks,  and  in  line  as  well.     At  times, 
have  a  simple  change  of  direction  or  formation  executed. 
The  change  of  direction  by  squad  to  the  right  or  left 
is  simple,  and  will  be  of  practical  use;  it  is  important, 
also,  to  teach,  practically,  such  important  movements  as 
the  change  of  formation  from  column  to  line,  line  to 
column,  company  column  to  line,  etc. 

3.  When  well  trained  in  these  movements,  require 
them  to  be  made  silently.     Even  though  the  passage 
of  uneven  ground  is  a  difficult  matter,  repeated  practice 
makes  it  comparatively  easy.     During  the  Japanese- 
Russian  War,  the  greater  part  of  those  who  fell  down 
during  such  movements  were  newly  arrived  reservists. 

XIII. 

DETERMINATION  OF  DIRECTION  AT  NIGHT. 

Its  Importance. — That  the  determination  of  direc- 
tion, day  or  night,  is  important,  is  clearly  evident. 
Especially  at  night,  it  is  easy  to  mistake  directions,  and 
it  is  difficult  to  discover  the  mistake  quickly.  If  the 
direction  is  once  mistaken,  the  execution  of  one's  mission 
is  practically  impossible;  therefore,  the  quick  deter- 
mination of  direction,  at  any  time,  is  a  most  important 
matter. 

Methods  of  Determining  Direction. — By  fixed  Stars : 

1.  Direction  can  be  determined  by  the  position  of 
the  greater  number  of  fixed  stars,  especially  by  the  north 
star.  Accordingly,  on  a  clear  night,  the  direction  can 


41 

be  accurately  fixed  by  this  star.  The  north  star  is  a 
fixed  star  in  the  tail  of  the  Little  Bear  constellation. 
It  is  on  the  prolongation  of  the  line  b — a,  which  connects 
two  stars  of  the  Great  Bear  constellation,  and  at  about 

•f-7 
•h          ">* 


•d 


five  times  the  distance  between  these  two  stars.  On 
one  flank  of  the  Little  Bear  constellation,  which  is 
opposite  the  Great  Bear,  is  a  collection  of  stars  in  the 
shape  of  a  cross,  called  Anteus.*  Anteus  always  moves, 

*The  constellation  shown  in  the  cut  and  noted  in  the  text  as 
"Anteus"  is  the  well  known  one  af  "Cassiopeia."  It  is  in  the  form 
of  an  irregular  letter  "W"  instead  of  being  in  the  shape  of  a  cross 
as  stated  above.  —  Translator. 


42 

maintaining  this  relation  with  the  north  star  at  the 
center.  Therefore,  when  these  stars  are  seen,  the  recog- 
nition of  the  north  star  is  easy,  and  the  north  can  be 
fixed. 

2.  Method  by  the  moon. 

Although  it  is  difficult  to  determine  direction  by  the 
position  of  the  moon,  the  latter  has  the  advantage  of 
being  recognizable  even  on  nights  when  all  the  stars 
cannot  be  seen.  The  moon  crosses  the  meridian  about 
noon  on  the  first  lunar  day,  and  it  moves  about  fifty 
minutes  behind  the  sun  every  day.  Therefore,  if  the 
age  of  the  moon  be  known,  the  approximate  passing 
of  the  meridian  can  be  easily  computed.  Its  approxi- 
mate age  can  be  computed  from  the  shape  of  its  bright 
portion. 

3.  Method  by  a  map. 

A  map  indicates  directions  in  a  general  way,  by  its 
outlines.  Either  the  uppper  portion  is  north,  or  the 
direction  is  indicated.  Therefore,  if  the  map  can  be 
oriented  upon  the  actual  ground,  direction  can  be  easily 
determined.  Even  though  such  an  orientation  is  dif- 
ficult at  night,  the  general  directions  can  be  fixed  from 
memory,  or  from  the  direction  of  roads,  mountains  or 
rivers.  If  there  be  a  compass  it  can  be  done  simply  and 
conveniently. 

4.  Method  by  compass. 

The  blue  end  of  the  needle  generally  indicates  the 
north.  In  a  dense  fog,  snow  storm,  or  in  the  darkness 
within  a  forest,  in  all  cases  when  a  mark  is  difficult  to 
see,  there  is  no  way  as  certain  as  the  compass. 

5.  Other  methods. 


43 

The  condition  of  trees,  the  position  of  the  windows 
in  houses  in  cold  countries,  the  direction  of  prevailing 
winds  of  a  locality,  the  position  of  wind  shelters,  wind 
mills,  etc.,  all  aid  in  determining  direction. 


XIV. 

TRAINING    IN    DETERMINING    DIRECTION. 

How  to  Find  the  North  Star  and  How  to  Use  it.— 
In  locating  the  north  star,  the  instructor  first  points 
it  out  to  each  soldier.  Next,  he  explains  its  relations 
to  the  previously  described  constellations.  At  another 
time,  he  will  take  the  same  men  away  from  barracks, 
and  have  them  individually,  locate  the  star.  Practice 
will  soon  enable  them  to  look  up  and  discover  it  quickly. 
When  once  discovered,  it  fixes  the  north,  and  the  other 
directions  easily  follow.  Next,  using  this  star  as  a 
guide,  order  the  men  to  move  in  any  required  direction, 
by  such  commands,  as:  "Move  southeast;  northwest; 
etc."  When  they  can  do  this  accurately,  they  have 
learned  how  to  use  the  star. 

Method  by  Looking  at  the  Compass. — When  examining 
a  compass,  except  on  a  moonlight  night,  a  light  must 
be  made,  and  each  soldier  requires  practice  on  that 
point. 


44 


XV. 


METHOD  OF    MAKING  A   LIGHT  AT  NIGHT. 

Its  Importance. — In  any  case,  it  is  important  that  the 
light  should  not  be  visible  to  the  enemy,  either  directly 
or  from  its  reflection  on  trees,  etc. ;  therefore,  the  fol- 
lowing principles  must  be  observed : 

(a)  That  the  light  does  not  leak  out  directly. 

(b)  That  it  is  not  reflected  by  any  object. 

Manner  of  Making  a  Light. — From  the  preceding 
principles,  we  see  that  the  proper  way  to  make  a  light, 
is  to  take  advantage  of  the  configuration  of  the  ground, 
the  various  pyhsical  objects,  etc.  The  following  are 
examples : 

1.  If  there  are  any  trees  in  the  vicinity,  make  the 
light  behind  them  using  the  body  also  to  shelter  it. 

2.  Use  embankments,  houses,  stone  walls,  etc.,  in 
the  same  way. 

3 .  When  there  are  no  such  covering  objects,  proceed 
as  follows: 

v  (a)  Two  men  clasp  arms  together,  their  backs  to- 
ward the  enemy;  using  their  bodies  as  a'shelther,  hold 
the  cap  near  the  ground,  and  make  a  light  in  the  cap. 

(b)  Use  the  cape  of  the  overcoat  as  a  shelter  for  the 
light. 

(c)  One  man  alone,  will  squat  down  on  the  ground, 
and  make  a  light  between  his  legs,  the  ground,  and  the 
upper  part  of  his  body. 


45 

(d)  Light  the  tobacco  (Japanese),  in  the  pipe 
quickly;  blow  it,  and  examine  the  object  (watch 
compass,  etc.). 

Individual  Training.  —  After  the  above  basic  methods 
are  understood,  each  man  will  be  made  to  carry  matches, 


<r,  ^      TW*   wJf*v<t      and  lights  will  be  made 
'  singly  or  in  groups,  and 


then  inspected.  For  ex- 
ample, have  the  men  un- 
der instruction  advance 
the  necessary  distance  in 
front  of  the  squad  A;  at 
that  place,  have  them 
make  a  light  so  that  it 

l  I       M  will  not  be  visible  from  A. 

If  a  light  be  seen,  have  the  one  who  made  it  do  it  over 

and  instruct  him  carefully. 

This   Method  is   a   Common  Sense   One.  —  As   this 

method  is  a  common  sense  one,  much  instruction  will 

not  be  necessary.     It   will  be  sufficient,    to  test  the 

memory  at  times.     Thoughtful  soldiers  will  do  this, 

properly,  even  without  instruction. 

XVI. 

CONNECTION  AND  CONNECTING    FILES  AT  NIGHT. 

Methods.  — 

1.     Method  by  sound. 

On  a  dark  night,  a  luminous  medium  is  necessary 
in  maintaining  connection  '  by  sight.  Accordingly, 
when  conditions  forbid  the  use  of  a  light,  sound  must  be 


46 

depended  upon  and  preconcerted  signals  are  required. 
For  example: 

(a)  Sound  made  by  striking  the  rifle  butt. 

(b)  Use  of  the  whistle. 

(c)  In  addition,  various  methods  suitable  to  the 
conditions. 

When  such  signals  become  complicated,  their  use- 
fulness is  destroyed ;  they  must  therefore,  be  very  simple. 
For  example : 

(a)  Signal  for  attention. 

(b)  Signal  for  announcing  one's  position. 

(c)  Signal  when  the  enemy,  or  something  suspicious 
is  discovered. 

(d)  Signals  for  advance,  retreat,  summoning,  etc. 
These  signals  may  be  fixed  by  the  tone  of  the 

whistle,  or  by  the  number  of  blows  struck  on  the  rifle 
butt.  In  this  instruction,  have  the  assistant  instructors, 
at  first,  give  these  signals  to  the  recruits ;  and  then  have 
the  signals  agreed  upon  carried  out  within  the  squad 
of  recruits  under  the  supervision  of  the  instructors. 

2.     Method  of  connection  by  signals. 

Methods  of  communication  on  a  large  scale  by  re- 
volving or  flashing  lights,  etc.,  are  very  important,  but 
we  shall  only  discuss  the  simpler  methods  here. 

(a)  Beacon  lights. 

(b)  Matches. 

(c)  Match-cord. 

(d)  Bull's-eye  lantern. 
0)     White  cloth. 

During  the  Japanese-Russian  War,  beacon  lights 
were  frequently  used,  especially  by  the  Russians. 


47 

Lanterns,  straw,  or  some  combustible  material  was  tied 
on  the  end  of  poles,  which  were  erected  at  necessary 
places  (oil  was  used  if  there  was  any  on  hand).  On 
account  of  the  nature  of  the  work,  it  was  usually  per- 
formed by  officers,  as  it  was  found  dangerous  to  entrust 
it  to  enlisted  men. 

Matches  cannot  be  used  for  connection,  except  in  the 
very  simplest  cases.  For  example,  they  can  only  be 
used  for  the  advance  or  retreat  of  patrols,  or  for  the 
transmission  of  very  important  single  signals. 

By  a  rope  match,  comparatively  many  signals  can 
be  transmitted,  as  for  example: 

(a)  The  round  one  has  a  certain  meaning. 

(b)  The  flat  one  has  a  certain  meaning . 

(c)  The  vertical  one  has  a  certain  meaning. 

In  addition,  by  various  complicated  vibrations, 
many  different  signals  can  be  transmitted.  The  dis- 
tances at  which  this  rope  match  is  visible  are  fixed  by 
experiments,  and  each  soldier  must  be  taught  the 
effective  distance. 

Dark  lanterns  can  be  used  at  short  distances  in 
flashing  messages .  Though  the  distance  of  transmission 
varies  with  the  strength  of  the  flame,  it  can,  under  many 
conditions,  reach  a  comparatively  great  distance. 
When  accustomed  to  this  method  of  transmission,  it  will 
be  found  very  convenient  for  outpost  duty,  and  it  has 
the  further  advantage  of  being  concealed  from  the  enemy. 
During  the  Japanese-Russian  War,  the  author  made  one 
out  of  an  empty  vegetable  can.  Each  squad  was  sup- 
plied with  one  of  these  cans,  and  they  proved  of  great 
value. 

3.     Connecting  files. 


48 

Even  though  the  movement  of  connecting  files  at 
night  are  similar  to  those  in  the  day  time,  the  amount 
of  difficulty  varies  greatly.  Accordingly,  training 
under  varying  conditions  is  necessary.  The  terrain, 
state  of  the  roads,  conditions  of  the  hour,  etc.,  have  a 
great  influence.  This  work  must  be  carried  out  ac- 
curately in  the  following  directions : 

(a)  In  a  longitudinal  direction,  at  a  halt  and  when 
connecting  moving  bodies. 

(b)  In  a  horizontal  direction  under  similar  con- 
ditions. 

4.  Messengers. 

The  proper  performance  of  the  duties  of  night  mes- 
sengers is  very  difficult,  because  at  night  time,  on  ac- 
count of  losing  directions,  mistaking  roads,  together 
with  the  mental  state  of  doubt  and  fear  of  the  messenger, 
there  are  many  times  when  their  movement  is  stopped, 
or  their  objective  not  carried  out.  The  progress  in 
the  use  of  the  telephone,  telegraph,  and  other  methods 
of  transmission,  has  not  rendered  the  training  of  mes- 
sengers useless. 

5.  Methods  by  which  messengers  may  advance. 

(a)  By  roads. 

(b)  By  rushes,  from  object  to  object. 

(c)  Moving  along  a  prominent  extended  physical 
object  (as  river,  mountain,  forest,  etc.). 

(d)  In  a  certain  fixed  direction  (by  compass,  etc.). 

(e)  By  a  mark,  light,  etc., 

The  method  by  roads  is  very  safe  if  the  roads  are 
prominent,  and  there  is  no  danger  of  losing  the  way. 
Such  roads  as  those  of  China  which  connect  village  with 


49 

village,  are  very  uncertain  and  it  was  very  easy  to  get 
lost.  When  travelling  on  a  road,  the  following  pre- 
cautions are  important : 

1.  Care  and  discrimination  in  the  forks  of  a  road. 

2.  Marks  or  signs  at  important  places. 

3.  Pay  attention  to  physical  objects  on  the  road, 
or  at  the  side  of  the  road. 

4.  Other  unusual  relations. 

5.  The  relation  between  the  gradual  change  in  the 
direction  of  a  road  and  the  forks  of  a  road. 

6.  The  manner  in  which  a  road  enters  or  leaves  a 
village. 

For  example,  in  sending  an  orderly  from  B  to  A, 
give  him  directions  about  the  road  he  is  to  follow,  in 
this  manner:  "Move  from  B  toward  A;  at  the  three 
forks  in  the  road  near  an  umbrella-shaped  pine  tree, 
take  the  right  road;  after  crossing  a  bridge,  you  will 
hear  the  noise  of  a  water-wheel ;  continuing  on  this  road, 
you  will  see  a  village  on  the  left,  which  you  will  be  able 
to  pick  out  from  its  fire-tower,  and  A  is  but  about  five 
minutes  walk  beyond,  etc."  (See  sketch  p.  50). 

The  method  of  advancing  by  rushes  from  object  to 
object,  was  used  in  crossing  the  Manchurian  rice 
fields  in  winter,  and  in  crossing  ground  where  there  were 
no  roads.  Such  conditions  forced  us  to  adopt  the  above 
method. 

7.  Cautions  fespecting  the  above  method : 

(a)  After  entering  the  physical  object  (woods, 
etc.),  do  not  mistake  the  direction  on  exit. 

(6)  If  possible  to  pass  around  the  flank  of  the  ob- 
ject, it  is  preferable  to  going  through  it. 


50 


(c)  The  interior  of  villages  and  woods  are  im- 
portant, but  it  is  best  not  to  enter  them,  except  when 
clearly  advantageous  to  do  so ;  roads  in  the  interior  of  a 
village  are  complicated,  and  it  is  often  easy  to  lose 


direction.  When  there  is  no  map,  memorize  beforehand 
the  names  of  the  villages  in  order,  as  it  will  facilitate 
communication  with  the  inhabitants  of  those  villages. 
When  advancing  in  an  unknown  country,  you  will  be 


51 

able  to  take  proper  road  to  the  next  village  even 
though  the  natives  could  not  tell  you  the  road  to  the 
destination  of  the  day's  march.  Whenever  there  are 
no  natives,  or  you  cannot  communcicate  with  them,  it  is 
difficult  to  advance  without  a  map.  In  such  cases, 
objects  or  marks  previously  noted  in  the  daytime  must 
be  depended  upon,  but  it  is  a  most  difficult  matter,  at 
best. 

8.  Method  by  moving  along  a  prominent  extended 
object  (river,  woods,  etc.). 

For  example,  in  going  from  A  to  B,  when  the  road  is 
indistinct  and  cannot  be  used,  follow  along  the  stream 
which  flows  in  the  direction  A — B.  In  important  cases, 
the  messenger  will  go  down  to  the  stream  to  verify  the 
road.  (See  sketch  p.  52). 

By  this  method,  or  by  the  direction  of  mountain 
ranges,  rice-fields,  ravines,  etc.,  the  general  direction 
can  be  kept,  but  great  obstacles  will  frequently  be  en- 
countered, which  only  determination  and  boldness  will 
conquer. 

9^  A  messenger's  looking  forward  and  backward, 
and  memory. 

A  messenger  must  always  pay  attention  to  the  fol- 
lowing things  with  reference  to  the  road  traversed,  or 
physical  objects  passed  on  the  way: 

(a)  Look  back  at  the  physical  objects  which  he 
passes  and  at  other  things  which  will  serve  as  marks, 
committing  them  all  to  memory. 

(b)  Memorize  physical  objects  which  are  at  import- 
ant points  (so  that  he  will  be  able  to  recognize  those 
points  upon  arrival  there). 


52 


(c)  In  the  daytime,  think  of  the  night;  memorize 
the  marks,  and  at  the  same  time,  judge  how  the  shadows 
will  appear  at  night.  (Remember  that  projecting 


trees  will  not  be  visible  at  night,  as  they  will  be  covered 
by  objects  in  rear.). 

(d)     Establish  special  recognizing  marks,  as : 

1.     White  cloth,  white  paper,  etc.,  in  branches  of 
trees. 


53 

2.  Special  guiding  trees. 

3.  Scatter  paper,  white  powder,  or  other  easily 
recognizable  substances  along  the  road. 

Cautions  for  all  Connecting  Files. — 

(a)  Avoid  the  double  time  for  connecting  pur- 
poses.    It  is  not  only  noisy,  but  there  is  the  danger  of 
falling  down  as  well. 

(b)  The  amount  of  sound  required  when  reporting 
and  for  connection  purposes  will  vary  according  to  the 
conditions  which  obtain  at  the  time. 

(c)  Connecting  files  of  a  column,  upon  arriving  at  a 
fork  in  the  road,  must  not  lose  touch  with  the  column  in 
rear  or  lose  sight  of  the  detachment  in  front.     At  such 
times,  paper  or  white  powder  will  be  scattered  -(See 
chapter  relating  to  night  marches). 

(d)  The  position  of  connecting  files  should  be  such 
that  they  can  see  our  own  forces,  and  be  seen  by  them. 

(e)  They  must  make  the  transmission  of  messages 
quick  and  certain. 

10.     Method  by  relays. 

(a)  Long    distance    relays — written    and    verbal 
messages. 

(b)  Short  relays — written  and  verbal  messages. 
The  method  by  relays  is  frequently  carried  out  in 

war  time,  and  it  is  therefore  necessary  that  all  soldiers 
be  well  trained  in  this  work.  In  the  training  for  long 
distance  relays,  it  is  very  important  to  begin  with  very 
simple  methods,  gradually  working  up  to  difficult  con- 
ditions. 

For  example,  place  soldiers  as  indicated  above ;  from 
the  position  of  the  instructor  at  A,  give  verbal  orders 


-f 

54 


and  messages  to  No.  1  in  the  vicinity  of  the  instructor, 
and  cause  the  message  to  be  transmitted  to  Nos.  2,  3, 
etc.,  to  the  last  post,  who  transmits  it  to  the  instructor. 
This  exercise  can  be  carried  out  during  other  drills,  or 
while  on  the  march. 


In  short  relays,  also,  it  will  be  found  profitable  to 
begin  the  training  as  described  above.  Whenever 
necessary,  the  message  will  be  transmitted  in  a  low  tone 
from  one  soldier  to  another.  Practice  may  be  carried 
out  during  night  maneuvers,  or  on  the  march. 


55 


XVII. 

NIGHT    FIRING. 

Night  firing  must  not  be  carried  out  unnecessarily; 
however,  if  conditions  are  such  that  it  can  be  carried 
out  accurately  and  without  danger,  it  is  permissible. 
Night  firing  by  squad  is  most  effective  in  volley  firing 
by  command;  but  it  is  important  that  training  in  in- 
dividual fire,  also,  be  carried  out,  as  that  kind  of  firing 
must  be  used  at  point  blank  ranges. 

Cautions  for  Individuals  when  Firing. — 

1.  At  night,  keep  cool  and  obey  the  commands  of 
your  leader. 

2.  Night  firing  is  usually  too  high;  therefore,  take 
care  not  to  incline  the  upper  part  of  the  body  to  the  rear, 
or  raise  the  muzzle  of  the  rifle  above  the  horizontal. 

3.  In  firing  at  night,  it  is  a  good  thing  to  release 
the  trigger  by  one  pressure  of  the  finger,  instead  of  the 
usual  method. 

4.  Never  get  excited  after  firing;  keep  cool. 

5.  When  firing  is  stopped,  turn  the  safety  without 
fail. 

XVIII. 

TRAINING  IN  NIGHT  FIRING. 

Horizontal  Firing  and  Posture. — The  kneeling  posi- 
tion is  most  suitable  for  horizontal  firing ;  when  aiming, 
raise  the  buttock  from  the  right  heel  and  hold  the  rifle 
as  in  the  standing  position.  This  method  of  aiming 


56 

is  suitable  to  all  kinds  of  terrain,  and  can  be  done  in 
double  rank  as  well  as  in  single  rank. 

Method  and  Order  of  Training.— This  training  may 
carried  out  as  follows: 

(a)     Train  each  soldier  to  hold  his  rifle  horizontally. 

(6)  By  such  training  he  will  soon  be  able  to  hold  it 
so,  naturally. 

1.  Formation. 

The  following  points  are  essential : 

(a)  One  soldier  must  not  interfere  with  another. 

(b)  It  must  be  convenient  for  supervision  by  an 
officer. 

In  line  with  one  pace  interval  fulfills  both  these 
requirements.  This  drill  trains  the  muscles  to  work 
involuntarily;  and  daytime  will  be  found  most  con- 
venient for  training  and  supervision. 

2.  Opportunity  for  training. 

Daytime  is  best  for  this  training,  on  account  of  its 
convenience  for  observation  and  instruction. 

3.  Methods.  • 

Have  each  soldier  close  his  eyes  and  level  his  rifle, 
according  to  the  principles  that  have  been  explained  to 
him.  After  the  rifle  has  been  brought  against  the  cheek, 
the  soldier  will  open  his  eyes  and  examine  it.  Next  have 
this  movement  executed  by  squad  by  command,  just 
as  in  pointing  and  aiming  drill.  When  this  movement 
is  well  understood,  order  the  men  to  close  their  eyes, 
and,  while  in  that  condition,  put  up  a  target  and  have 
them  carry  out  horizontal  fire  against  it. 


57 


XIX. 

NIGHT   BAYONET  EXERCISES. 

Importance  of  Such  Drill. — A  night  battle  is  a  hand 
to  hand  fight  in  which  the  bayonet  must  be  used; 
therefore,  the  bayonet  is  the  one  cause  of  success  in 
night. attacks.  When  well  trained  in  such  fighting,  it 
raises  self-confidence,  increases  bravery,  and  drives 
away  fear. 

Cautions  in  the  Use  of  the  Bayonet  at  Night. — 

1.  At  night,  on  account  of  an  excessive  watchful- 
ness, there  is  a  tendency  to  misjudge  the  proximity  of 
the  enemy,  and  to  dash  upon  him  with  the  determination 
to  overthrow  him  with  the  body  alone,  without  making 
use  of  the  bayonet. 

2.  Make  the  men  understand  that  they  can  over- 
throw the  enemy  only  after  they  have  first  put  away  all 
thought  of  their  own  lives. 

3.  At  the  time  of  the  attack  and  charge,  it  is  im- 
portant not  to  stumble  and  fall ;  in  order  to  avoid  this, 
care  must  be  exercised  in  placing  the  feet  on  the  ground. 

4.  Care  will  be  exercised  in  the  dress,  and  in  the 
handling  of  dummy  guns,  etc. 

5.  An  accurate  and  rigid  posture  is  necessary  in 
executing  this  movement  in  the  prescribed  namner. 

6.  During  training,  the  following  points  will  be 
observed : 

(a)  Be  cool,  and  do  not  make  any  sound  without 
permission. 


58 

(6)     High  morale  and  overflowing  spirits  are  neces- 
sary. 

(c)     Cultivate  an  aggressive   spirit. 


XX. 


TRAINING  IN  NIGHT  BAYONET  FENCING. 

Scope  of  Training. — In  night  training  in  bayonet 
fencing,  it  will  not  be  necessary  to  carry  out  all  the  move- 
ments given  in  the  Fencing  Manual,  because  at  night- 
time, it  is  important  to  overthrow  the  enemy  in  the  first 
charge  by  a  vigorous  and  violent  offensive,  in  which 
skillful  dexterity  is  no  great  necessity.  Therefore,  the 
following  training  will  be  found  sufficient : 

(a)  Direct  thrust  against  temporary  targets. 

(b)  Fundamental  drill.. 

.When  these  two  things  are  taught  sufficiently,  the 
requirements  of  a  night  bayonet  attack  can  be  fulfilled. 

Method  of  Training.— 

1.  Against  dummy  figures. 

Each  soldier  will  be  made  to  charge  against  a  hypo- 
thetical enemy  (as  used  in  Russia),  or  against  a  white 
cloth,  or  figure  of  a  man  carried  by  the  instructor.  At 
first  the  figure  will  be  in  a  fixed  position,  but  later,  the 
soldier  will  charge  seeking  the  target  and  not  knowing 
its  position  beforehand.  As  the  training  progresses, 
make  surprise  targtes  of  white  cloth,  dummy  figures, 
targets,  etc.,  and  at  suitable  times,  have  them  appear 
suddenly  before  the  soldier. 

2.  Fundamental  training. 


59 

In  this  training,  the  instructor — Non-commissioned 
officer,  or  First  Class  Private — wears  defensive  armor, 
and  if  necessary,  face  armor  as  well.  The  soldiers  under 
instruction  wear  fencing  gloves  only,  or  the  regulation 
clothing.  The  instructor  calls  out  a  name,  and  the 
soldier  charges  several  times,  being  relieved  in  turn.  At 
this  time  the  soldier  must  be  taught  not  to  fear  the  in- 
structor's bayonet,  but  he  must  be  made  to  approach 
very  close  to  the  instructor.  Try  to  make  the  exercise 
as  realistic  as  possible.  On  moonlight  nights,  this  ex- 
ercise will  conform  to  that  of  the  daytime,  but  the  best 
way  to  take  advantage  of  the  light  can  be  studied. 


XXI. 

NIGHT  INTRENCHING. 

Importance. — The  construction  of  fortifications,  on 
the  offensive  or  defensive,  in  the  day  or  night,  is  a  most 
important  matter.  Even  though  prevented  in  daytime 
by  the  pressure  of  battle,  the  night  will  bring  an  oppor- 
tunity for  intrenching.  Accordinlgy  it  follows,  that,  in 
many  cases  in  actual  warfare,  intrenchments  are  con- 
structed in  front  of  the  enemy  at  night.  For  this  reason 
training  in  night  intrenching  is  most  necessary.  While 
such  work  is  comparatively  easy  on  a  moonlight  night, 
it  is  a  very  difficult  thing  on  a  dark  night. 

Night  Intrenching  and  Important  Point  in  Training. — 

1.  Each  man  marks  out  his  own  section,  and  begins 
digging  from  close  by  his  feet. 

2.  Care  will  be  taken  to  connect  the  individual 
excavations. 


60 

3.  It  is  easy  to  make  the  trench  to  narrow;  there- 
fore caution  is  enjoined  in  this  respect. 

4.  Be  careful  that  the  excavated  earth  is  not  thrown 
too  far  or  too  near;  each  man  will  watch  the  way  he 
throws  the  dirt  and  apply  his  strength  accordingly. 

5.  In  using  the  shovel  and  the  spade,  much  noise 
is  caused  if  the  dirt  be  allowed  to  fall  from  an  unneces- 
sary height;  therefore  the  strength  should  be  applied 
when  the  shovel  is  near  the  ground. 

6.  Each  man's  section  should  be  large  enough  to 
prevent  his  being  struck  by  his  neighbor's  tools. 

7.  If  discovered  by  the  enemy's  search  lights,  do 
not  become  confused;  simply  lie  down. 

8.  If  attacked  by  the  enemy,  do  not  throw  the  tools 
away ;  either  put  them  in  the  place  where  the  rifles  were 
left,  or  in  some  other  fixed  position. 

9.  Do  not  use  the  pick  unless  necesssary,  as  this 
tool  requires  a  wide  frontage. 

10.  Do  not  scrape  tools  together  in  order  to  clean 
off  the  dirt ;  use  a  chip  of  wood  or  the  toe  of  the  shoe. 

11.  Cautions  regarding  reliefs: 

(a)  At  the  time  of  relief,  intrenching  tools  will  be 
handed  to  the  relief  without  any  talking. 

(b)  Care  will  be  taken  that  no  vacant  spaces  are 
left  between  the  workmen. 

(c)  The  working  place  should  not  be  left,  except 
upon  arrival  of  the  relief.     Each  man  will  carry  his 
rifle. 

(d)  Whenever  unadvoidable,  leave  the  tools  stick- 
ing up  in  the  ground  where  they  can  be  easily  found. 


61 

In  order  to  prevent  losing  them,  it  is  a  good  thing  to  tie  a 
piece  of  cloth  on  the  handle.   „ 


XXII. 

TRAINING  IN  NIGHT  INTRENCHING. 

Methods. — To  carry,  out  this  training,  march  the 
squad  on  a  dark  night,  to  the  training  ground.  First, 
have  the  men  dig  individually,  and  explain  to  them  how 
it  differs  from  the  work  in  the  daytime.  Next,  place 
two  or  more  men  side  by  side,  indicate  each  one's  sector, 
and  have  each  one  execute  his  prescribed  portion.  If 
possible  to  do  so,  it  will  be  found  advantageous  for  the 
men  to  see,  in  the  day,  the  result  of  their  night  labors. 
At  this  time,  too,  they  must  be  taught  the  differences 
in  sound  resulting  from  the  differences  in  the  character 
of  ground  and  the  tools  used. 

Cautions. — In  this  training,  the  following  points 
should  be  especially  noted: 

1.  At  nighttime,  do  not  have  idle  soldiers  looking 
on  at  the  work. 

2.  Take  only  a  small  squad  at  a  time,  as  it  is  im- 
possible to  oversee,   properly,   the-  work    of    a    large 
number. 

3.  In  addition  to  their  own  work,  have  the  men 
listen  to  the  noise  of  others  working,  thus  cultivating 
their  judgment  as  to  distance,  number  of  men  working, 
etc. 

4.  Don't  limit  the  work  to  nighttime  only.     Make 
the  men  understand  what  is  required  by  work  in  rainy 
and  snowy  weather,  when  such  work  is  difficult. 


62 

5.  Carry  out  this  work  as  often  as  possible,  so  that 
they  will  become  accustomed  to  it. 

Method  by  Using  Sand  Bags. — (See  detachment  in- 
trenching) . 

XXIII. 

METHODS    OF    RECOGNIZING    FRIENDLY   TROOPS   AT  NIGHT. 

Importance. — At  night  time  there  is  danger  of  at- 
tacking and  fighting  our  own  forces;  accordingly  the 
quick  recognition  of  our  own  troops  is  most  important. 
If  that  recognition  be  delayed,  there  will  £e  the  great 
danger  of  losing  the  initiative. 

Methods  of  Recognition.— 

1.  Speech. 

(a)  Different  words  from  those  in  daily  use. 

(b)  Countersign. 

2.  Uniform. 

(a)  Different  from  that  in  daily  use. 

(b)  Special  distinguishing  marks. 

Words  and  clothing  in  daily  use  are  not  sufficient  to 
rely  upon  in  war  time.  During  the  Japanese-Russian 
War,  the  Russians  frequently  wore  our  uniform,  or 
Chinese  clothing,  and  used  our  speech. 

Disadvantages  of  Speech. — At  night,  the  one  who 
speaks  first,  is  at  a  disadvantage.  In  the  old  days  of 
sword  and  spear  fighting,  there  was  no  particular  danger 
in  speech,  unless  very  close  together;  but  today,  one 
who  is  believed  to  be  an  enemy,  is  quickly  killed  by 
firearms. 


63 

Suitable  Methods  of  Recognition. — As  stated  above 
when  there  is  a  difference  of  language  and  uniform, 
that  is  a  suitable  method  for  quick  recognition ;  but  it  is 
most  important  to  gain  the  initiative.  In  order  to  pre- 
vent the  enemy  from  gaining  the  initiative,  such 
methods  as  striking  the  rifle  stock,  signals  by  whistle, 
etc.,  may  be  used,  these  methods  being  applicable  to 
any  country.  However,  on  a  very  dark  night,  especially 
in  a  confused  bayonet  fight,  such  methods  are  not  suf- 
ficient; accordingly,  the  men  must  wear  some  special 
distinguishing  mark,  which  can  be  readily  identified. 
In  this  case  the  distinguishing  marks  must  be  recogni- 
zable along  the  whole  front,  and,  if  possible,  should  be 
worn  so  as  not  to  be  visible  to  the  .enemy. 

XXIV. 

NIGHT    DEMOLITION   WORK. 

Training. — When  a  position  for  assaulting  is  taken, 
the  position  of  the  enemy  must  be  reconnoitered.  Hav- 
ing made  certain  of  the  presence  of  obstacles  in  front  of 
the  enemy  and  their  position  and  character,  they  must 
be  destroyed  before  the  charge.  Engineer  troops  are 
most  suitable  for  this  work,  but  infantry,  as  well,  must 
be  able  to  open  their  own  road.  This  demolition  is  a 
very  difficult  matter,  especially  in  the  case  of  indepen- 
dent infantry,  not  supplied  with  explosives.  There- 
fore thorough  training  in  peace  time  is  most  necessary. 

Requisites  for  Demolition  Work. — 

(a)  Brave  men  who  do  not  fear  death. 

(b)  Quick,  clever  men. 

(c)  Cool  men. 


64 

% 

Even  though  possessed  of  the  above  characteristics, 
if  they  do  not  take  advantage  of  a  good  opportunity, 
success  is  uncertain.  It  is  the  duty  of  officers  to  watch 
for  good  opportunities. 

Important  Principles  of  Demolition  Work. — Of 
course  the  point  to  be  demolished  must  conform  to  the 
tactical  requirements,  and  must  be  such  a  place  that, 
having  been  broken,  troops  can  enter  instantly.  The 
space  demolished  should  be  wide  enough  for  a  column 
of  fours  to  pass  through.  Sufficient  preparation  should 
be  made  for  this  demolition,  and  its  execution  must  be 
rapid.  The  obstacle  should  be  approached,  as  far  as 
possible,  without  the  knowledge  of  the  enemy;  when 
this  is  impossible,  it  must  be  demolished  under  the  pro- 
tection of  friendly  troops.  Several  places  should  be 
selected  for  demolition  so  that  there  will  be  a  good 
prospect  of  success  somewhere. 

Methods  of  Training. — This  work  is  engineering 
work,  and  the  men  should  be  trained  in  it  first  in  the 
daytime.  After  they  thoroughly  understand  its  re- 
quirements, the .  work  will  be  carried  on  at  night. 
While  of  course  it  is  desirable  that  all  men  should  have 
this  training,  on  account  of  its  difficult  nature,  it  will  be 
found  sufficient  to  train  only  a  selected  number. 

XXV. 

METHODS   OF   USING  HAND   GRENADES   AT   NIGHT. 

Hand  grenades  have  become  more  important  than 
ever  on  account  of  their  practical  use  in  the  Japanese- 
Russian  War;  in  future  wars,  their  use  will  become 
more  and  more  general.  Even  though  there  will  be  but 


65 

few  instances  where  great  training  will  be  required  in 
their  use,  if  they  are  not  used  properly  success  is  im- 
possible and  they  will  only  serve  to  alarm  the  enemy. 
Therefore  each  soldier  will  be  trained  in  their  use,  at 
least  to  the  extent  of  becoming  brave  enough  to  carry 
them  without  hesitation.  On  account  of  their  danger, 
soldiers  will  first  be  accustomed  to  them  in  the  daytime ; 
then  later,  at  nighttime,  they  will  throw  them  at  targets 
made  of  lanterns  or  lights.  Whenever  there  are  but  few 
hand  grenades,  small  packages  of  the  same  weight  will 
be  constructed;  to  these  will  be  attached  the  same 
weight  of  throwing  rope,  and  thus  the  effort  necessary 
for  throwing  the  grenades  can  be  ascertained.  Soldiers 
will  thus  learn  the  amount  of  effort  necessary  for  var- 
ious distances.  The  hurling  of  hand  grenades  is  the  pre- 
lude of  the  charge;  if  the  charge  comes  too  long  after 
the  shock  of  the  grenades,  success  is  most  uncertain ;  the 
enemy's  works  must  be  penetrated  immediately  after 
the  hand  grenades  are  thrown. 


XXVI. 

NIGHT  SENTINELS. 

Training. — Sentinels  will  be  trained  in  the  daytime 
as  well  as  at  night.  At  night,  he  must  be  able  to  move 
under  any  condition  that  may  arise  during  that  time. 
This  training  should  be  begun  only  after  the  soldier  un- 
derstands clearly  the  essential  points  of  the  relations 
between  sound  and  vision,  the  determination  of  direc- 
tion, silent  night  marches  etc. 

Night,  and  Position  of  Sentinels. — (See  chapter  on 
sight  and  hearing). 


66 

1 .  A  position  with  a  broad  field  of  view. 

2.  A  position  with  no  obstruction  to  the  field  of 
view. 

3.  A  position  where  hearing  is  not  interfered  with. 

4.  A  position  not  visible  to  the  enemy,  but  con- 
venient for  our  own  view.     For  example : 

(a)     To  keep  open  ground  in  front. 
(6)     To  avoid  a  windy  locality,  or  one  where  there 
are  water-wheels,  etc. 

(c)  At  night,  to  be  in  the  shadow  of  a  tree  with  the 
moonlight  behind. 

(d)  A  position  from  which  the  sky-line  is  visible 
is  advantageous,  even  on  a  dark  night. 

(e)  A  position  where  you  can  be  seen  a  long  dis- 
tance against  the  sky-line,  is  disadvantageous. 

(/)  A  position  which  is  known  to  the  natives  is 
disadvantageous . 

(g)  To  be  always  in  a  fixed  position  is  disadvan- 
tageous. 

(h)  Terrain  which  prevents  the  enemy  from  at- 
tacking suddenly  is  advantageous. 

Along  the  Shaho  river  in  Manchuria,  a  sentinel  in  a 
fixed  position  was  frequently  surprised  by  the  enemy, 
and  there  were  many  instances  of  such  surprise  caused 
by  the  fact  that  the  natives  knew  the  sentinel's  position. 

When  in  the  daytime  position  at  A,  the  sentinel  can 
see  well  in  the  enemy's  direction,  but  at  night,  such  a 
position  can  be  easily  seen  by  the  enemy ;  therefore  the 
sentinel's  post  should  be  changed  to  B,  from  which 
place  an  enemy  appearing  at  A  can  be  easily  discovered. 


67 

The  sentinel's  position  should  be  chosen  from  the  most 
suitable  ones  in  the  vicinity,  and  the  sentinel,  himself, 
should  improve  his  post  in  accordance  with  previously 
mentioned  requirements. 

To  stand  carelessly  with  the  rifle  in  the  hand, 
naturally  invites  danger.  This  caution  is  especially  im- 
portant to  men  on  such  duties  as  sentinel  on  outpost,  etc., 
which  is  the  first  line  of  defense  of  an  army  at  the  halt. 


Night  Sentinels  and  Posture. — The  posture  of  sen- 
tinels will  be  laid  down  in  instructions.  In  fixing  the 
posture,  the  relation  of  the  ground  and  physical  ob- 
jects must  be  borne  in  mind.  At  night,  the  following 
points  will  be  especially  noted : 

(a)  The    posture    should  be  lower   than  objects 
which  are  in  rear. 

(b)  Avoid  a  posture  visible  on  the  sky-line. 

(c)  Other  points  are  the  same  as  in  daytime. 
Night  Sentinels  and  Reconnaissance. — The  principles 

of  night   reconnaissance   depend  upon  the  following 
points : 

(a)  Follow    along    physical  objects   as   much   as 
possible,  keeping  the  body  low,  and  holding  the  breath; 
you  will  thus  be  able  to  hear  any  noise. 

(b)  Try  to  see  objects  on  the  sky-line. 


68 

(c)  Bear  in  mind  the  relation  between  physical  ob  - 
jects  (trees,  etc.)  and  the  moon;  take  care  that  there  is 
no  enemy  concealed  in  the  shadow. 

(d)  Form  your  judgement  of  conditions  from  the 
sounds  heard. 

(e)  Dont  move  unnecessarily. 

A  Sentinel's  Challenge  at  Night. — Our  preparation 
at  night  must  be  in  accordance  with  the  movements  of 
the  enemy.  Signals,  countersigns,  etc.,  will  not  be  used 
unnecessarily.  It  is  important  that  we  should  know, 
first,  something  about  the  enemy.  At  this  time,  the 
sentinel's  posture  will  be  in  accordance  with  the  follow- 
ing requirements : 

(a)  When  able  to  fire  make  preparations  for  so 
doing;    if  fired  at  by  the  enemy,  take  such  a  posture 
that  you  will  not  be  hit,  i.  e.,  lie  down. 

(b)  When  there  is  no  other  course  than  the  use  of 
the  bayonet,  try  to  overthrow  the  enemy  by  one  blow; 
care  should  be  taken  not  to  be  surprised. 

In  short,  challenge  quickly,  and  do  not  allow  the 
enemy  to  obtain  the  initiative. 

Night  Sentinels  and  Firing. — Sentinels  should  be 
careful  about  firing,  even  in  the  daytime;  how  much 
more  is  this  true  at  night!  Such  firing  must  conform  to 
the  following  conditions : 

(a)  When  danger  is  pressing,  and  there  is  no  time 
to  return  with  a  report. 

(b)  Whenever    necessary    for  the  sentinel's   own 
safety. 

(c)  Whenever  certain  of  hitting  the  enemy 's  patrols, 
etc. 


69 

(d)  Whenever  the  enemy's  returning  patrol  al- 
ready knows  the  sentinel's  position,  and  the  latter  is 
able  to  fire  effectively. 

We  have  already  explained  why  sentinels  should  not 
fire  unnecessarily  at  night.  From  experiences  in  actual 
warfare,  it  has  been  found  that  when  a  sentinel  remains 
silent  at  his  post,  he  gradually  becomes  excited,  and  fear 
and  illusions  fill  his  mind.  Trees  seem  enemies,  and 
naturally,  firing  soon  follows. 

During  the  Japanese-Russian  War,  when  in  contact 
with  the  enemy,  the  latter  frequently  attacked  our 
sentinels  in  the  following  manner : 


For  example,  some  of  the  enemy's  patrols  about 
dusk,  persistently  operated  in  the  direction  B.  Even 
at  night  they  did  not  leave,  but  gradually  approached 
closer  in  the  drkness,  just  as  if  they  were  going  to  charge 
our  post,  and  finallly  opened  fire.  Our  sentinels,  being 
diverted  by  this,  returned  the  fire.  The  enemy's 
detachment  at  C,  locating  the  post  by  the  flash  and 
noise  of  firing,  charged  suddenly  from  C. 

Sentinels  confronting  the  enemy  are  in  practically 
the  same  situation  as  in  fortress  warfare.  Vigilance,  of 
course,  should  be  stricter  than  on  the  march ;  but  there 


70 

are  many  examples  which  show  that  the  sentinel's 
firing  guides  the  enemy  and  enables  him  to  approach 
closely. 

Night  Sentinels  and  Reports. — Night  sentinels,  when 
making  reports,  will  pay  special  attention  to  the  fol- 
lowing points: 

(a)  At  the  time  of  moving  not  to  make  any  noise  or 
cast  any  shadows. 

(b)  Not  to  move  at  the  double  time  unless  abso- 
lutely necessary,  nor  make  any  noise. 

(c)  The  report  will  be  made  in  a  low  voice,  just 
mutually  audible. 

(d)  At  the  time  of  the  report  (made  to  visiting 
patrols  or  others),  not  to  let  the  enemy  take  advantage 
of  it,  or,  if  the  enemy  knows  that  one  man  has  gone 
back  to  the  rear  to  report,  not  to  allow  that  fact  to  be 
taken  advantage  of. 

(e)  Not  to  mistake  direction  (when  moving). 
Night  Sentinels  and  Connection. — A  sentinel  should 

be  well  acquainted  with  the  neighboring  posts,  as  there 
must  be  mutual  connection  in  the  line  of  sentinels. 
Therefore  a  sentinel  should  know  the  following  things 
with  reference  to  neighboring  sentinels : 

(a)  The  position  and  number  of  neighboring  posts, 
both  day  and  night. 

(b)  The  shortest  route  to  those  posts. 

(c)  The  difference  in  day  and  night  methods  of 
communication  whether  by  movement  or  by  sight. 

(d)  Movements  and  actions  of  a  post  when  there 
is  an  emergency  at  a  neighboring  post. 


71 

A  clear  knowledge  of  conditions  at  neighboring  posts 
is  essential  for  the  accurate  execution  of  a  post's  own 
duties.  During  the  Japanese-Russian  War,  many 
sentinels  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy  while  trying 
to  connect  with  neighboring  posts,  not  knowing  that  the 
latter  had  changed  their  positions.  Again,  often  the 
enemy  would  appear  in  front  of  one  post  and  open  a 
violent  fire,  just  as  if  they  were  about  to  attack  it; 
while  a  hidden  detachment  attacked  a  neighboring 
post  and  took  the  sentinels  prisoners.  The  following 
are  the  results  of  our  experiences  during  the  late  war, 
concerning  the  communication  of  sentinels: 

1.  Visual  signaling;  observation. 
Flags  and  other  signals. 

At  night,  lanterns.  (When  behind  high  ground, 
simple  signals  can  be  sent  by  disappearing  lights) . 

2.  Movements  made  by  a  moving  sentinel. 

(a)  From  one  point  to  another. 

(b)  Advancing  from  both  sides  and  meeting  at  a 
certain  point. 

(c)  By  a  third  person  (visiting  patrols,  etc.). 
During  connection  by  a  moving  sentinel,  there  is  a 

likelihood  that  the  sentinel  will  be  taken  prisoner  by  the 
secret  approach  of  the  enemy,  or  that  he  will  fall  into 
some  danger ;  therefore,  sufficient  quiet  and  caution  are 
necessary. 

Even  though  there  is  danger  in  always  taking  the 
same  road,  that  danger  must  be  disregarded  if  there  is 
a  good  road  within  the  line  of  sentinels.  If  the  sentinel 
passes  by  way  of  the  picket,  quick  communication  can 
be  made,  but  the  space  intervening  cannot  be  patrolled 
while  connection  is  being  made. 


72 

Night  Sentinels  and  Friendly  Patrols. — When  friendly 
patrols  are  about  to  cross  the  line  of  sentinels,  the  latter 
should  be  well  trained  in  the  proper  procedure.  The 
principal  points  are  as  follows : 

(a)  There  must  be  a  spirit  of  cooperation  between 
patrol  and  sentinel. 

(b)  The  sentinel  must  not  be  lazy  or  careless  in  his 
duties. 

On  this  point,  the  following  precautions  are  import- 
ant: 

(a)  The  sentinel  will  inform  the  patrol  concerning 
what  he  has  seen  or  heard  about  the  enemy,  and  all 
things  that  the  patrol  ought  to  know. 

(b)  The  sentinel  must  understand  the  configuration 
of  ground,  physical  objects,  and  names  of  localities  in 
front,  so  that  he  can  explain  them  to  the  patrol. 

(c)  It  is  important  that  the  sentinel  know  the  pa- 
trol's duties,  its  road,  objective  of  reconnaissance,  the 
time  and  place  of  return,  etc. 

When  a  patrol  is  about  to  cross  the  line  of  sentinels 
and  advance  toward  the  enemy,  the  sentinel  must  not 
inform  the  patrol  concerning  the  above  mentioned 
points  in  a  careless  or  perfunctory  manner.  The  sen- 
tinel should  regard  the  patrol  as  his  partner,  who  is 
moving  out  to  obtain  information,  and  should  do  all  in 
his  power  to  assist  the  patrol  in  the  proper  performance 
of  its  duties.  On  this  account,  a  sentinel,  knowing  that 
a  patrol  is  out  in  front,  will  be  able  to  judge  the  import- 
ance of  rifle  shots  and  other  indications  that  he  may 
hear.  When  the  patrol  returns  to  the  line  of  sentinels, 
the  latter  will  be  informed  concerning  the  following 
points : 


73 

(a)  What  the  patrol  has  learned  about  the  enemy. 

(b)  Whether  or  not  any  unusual  signs  were  ob- 
served by  the  patrol,  and,  if  so,  what  they  were. 

(c)  Sentinels   will   question  the   patrol   regarding 
designation  of  terrain,  and  any  other  points  not  clearly 
understood. 

When  a  patrol  leaves  the  line  of  sentinels,  and  ad- 
vances to  the  front,  n°ighboring  sentinels  will  be  notified 
by  moving  sentinels  or  other  means. 

A  patrol  is  able  to  carry  out  its  own  duty  well,  by 
using  what  it  has  learned  from  the  sentinel  as  a  basis. 
That  is  why  it  is  important  that  sentinels  and  patrols 
should  work  harmoniously  together. 

Night  Sentinels  and  Reliefs. — Frequently  the  noise 
made  by  the  relief,  discovers  the  sentinel's  position  to 
the  enemy,  and  this  fact  will  be  taken  advantage  of  by 
a  skillful  enemy.  Again,  if  the  time  of  relief  is  known, 
the  sentinel's  position  will  be  easily  discovered. 

Points  which  will  be  taught  regarding  reliefs: 

(a)  The  amount  of  noise  in  transmitting  general 
orders  (if  the  sentinel  knows  them  at  the  picket,  or 
assembly  place  in  rear,  it  is  not  necessary  to  repeat 
them  every  time). 

(b)  Cautions    at    time   of   transmission — matters 
relative  to  watchfulness,  etc. 

(c)  Movements  of  new  guard  to  sentinel's  post. 

(d)  Their  posture  after  arrival. 

(e)  Return   of   old   guard    and   their   subsequent 
movements. 

At  the  time  of  transmission  of  orders,  as  few  men  as 
possible  will  appear  at  the  post.  Again,  it  will  be  found 
that  some  sentinels  of  the  old  guard  will  become  in- 


74 

attentive,  due  to  the  relaxation  of  their  previous  mental 
strain — such  men  must  be  warned.  New  sentinels,  also, 
on  account  of  the  presence  of  old  sentinels  at  the  time 
of  relief,  are  liable  to  be  neglectful  in  watching.  On  this 
account  special  care  must  be  exercised,  and  training 
is  important. 

XXVII. 

TRAINING  OF  NIGHT  SENTINELS. 

Training  of  Sentinels  and  Amount  of  Light. — The 
training  of  sentinels  should  be  carried  out  at  times  in 
which  the  amount  of  light  varies.  That  is,  on  moon- 
light, starry  and  dark  nights,  with  and  without  wind," 
in  rainy  and  snowy  weather,  etc. 

Training  of  Sentinels  and  Terrain. — It  is  important 
that  the  training  of  night  sentinels  should  be  carried  out 
in  all  kinds  of  terrain.  In  such  varying  terrain,  the 
power  of  sight  and  hearing  can  be  learned,  both  of  which 
are  most  important  for  a  sentinel  to  know. 

Sentinels  and  Squads. — Although  for  the  purpose  of 
training,  the  number  of  men  in  a  squad  should  be  as  few 
as  possible,  the  time  will  be  wasted  if  the  incompetent 
Non-commissioned  Officers  and  First  Class  Privates  are 
placed  in  charge  of  the  instruction.  Trained  men  who 
understand  thoroughly  the  ideas  of  the  instructor,  should 
be  used  for  assistant  instructors.  Each  assistant  in- 
structor will  be  shown  the  following : 

(a)     The   squad's   sector   of   ground,    direction   of 
operation,  and  kind  of  training  to  be  carried  out. 
(6)     Means  and  methods  of  training. 

(c)  Time  to  be  employed  for  this  purpose. 

(d)  Position  and  direction  of  indicated  enemy. 


75 


(e)     Signals  for  assembly,  etc. 

An  Example  of  Such  Training. — First  have  an  old 
soldier  or  an  assistant  instructor  execute  the  movement, 
while  the  men  under  instruction  observe  it  (for  this  pur- 
pose a  moonlight  night,  or  just  at  dusk,  is  the  best  time) ; 
next,  two  or  three  men  will  carry  out  a  similar  move- 
ment, then  proceed  as  follows: 


66 
I 


-o 


a 


a 


66  66  66 

w       |§ 


76 

The  instructor  distributes  the  sentinels  as  in  the 
upper  sketch,  and  indicates  the  sector  which  they  will 
watch.  The  remainder  of  the  men  are  formed  in  a 
squad  near  the  instructor  and  will  form  reliefs.  An 
assistant  instructor  will  be  stationed  in  the  vicinity  of 
each  sentinel.  The  instructor  will  direct  his  assistants 
to  oversee  the  movements  of  the  men  while  engaged  on  a 
certain  duty,  and  to  correct  their  mistakes.  The 
necessary  number  of  men  will  be  sent  out  to  represent 
the  enemy ;  these  men,  having  been  given  detailed  instruc- 
tions, will  be  guided  by  previously  arranged  signals 
(disappearing  lights,  bull's-eye  lanterns,  etc.) .  When  all 
arrangements  are  completed,  the  instructor  will  direct 
the  represented  enemy  to  move,  and  the  sentinels  will 
oppose  them.  The  instructor  and  his  assistants  criti- 
cise and  instruct  the  men  in  their  duties ;  or  an  assistant 
instructor  will  form  a  patrol  of  two  or  three  men,  and, 
when  this  patrol  has  arrived  within  the  vicinity  of  a 
sentinel,  will  instruct  the  latter  how  to  proceed.  When 
these  patrols  have  already  gone  out  in  front  of  the  line 
of  sentinels,  they  approach  the  sentinels  as  an  indicated 
enemy.  When  the  instruction  on  this  point  is  finished, 
they  change  to  friendly  patrols,  and  instruct  the  sen- 
tinels upon  that  point. 

Character  of  the  Training. — The  subjects  in  which  the 
men  will  be  trained  do  not  differ  from  those  in  the  day- 
time, i.  e.,  the  principal  points  are  as  follows: 

(a)     Selection  of  sentinel's  position. 

(6)     Sentinel's  memory  of  physical  objects. 

(c)  Sentinel's  method  of  watching. 

(d)  Action  with  respect  to  patrols  which  cross  line 
of  sentinels. 


77 

(e)  Action  to  be  taken  with  respect  to  indications 
heard. 

(/)  Action  with  respect  to  the  enemy, 

(g)  Method  of  connection. 

(h)  Method  of  reporting. 

XXVIII. 

NIGHT    PATROLS. 

Night  Patrols  and  Methods  of  Connection. — Night 
patrols  must  be  more  careful  than  day  patrols  in  keep- 
ing in  touch;  for  in  the  daytime,  even  at  long  distances, 
connection  can  be  maintained  by  sight,  which,  of  course, 
is  impossible  at  night.  Special  caution  is  required  in 
the  presence  of  the  enemy,  as  it  is  then  dangerous  to 
use  sound  for  the  purpose  of  connection.  Accordingly, 
the  methods  which  can  be  used  are  as  follows : 

(a)  Diminish  distances  so  that  different  subdivi- 
sions can  see  each  other. 

(b)  Use  of  the  whistle. 

(c)  Sounds  made  by  striking  the  butt  of  the  gun, 
or  ammunition  pouch. 

The  limit  of  communication  by  such  methods  is 
very  restricted;  therefore,  it  is  often  convenient  that 
there  be  but  one  group  executing  a  certain  movement, 
but  care  must  be  taken  that  they  are  not  all  captured 
by  the  enemy  at  the  same  time. 

Night  Patrols  and  Methods  of  Maintaining  Direction. 
— The  difficulty  of  maintaining  direction  at  night  has 
already  been  mentioned ;  the  patrol  must  strive  by  every 
means  to  maintain  direction  accurately.  In  order  to  do 


78 

this,  see  those  chapters  where  we  have  explained  how  to 
determine  direction,  and  the  chapter  treating  of  the 
movements  of  connecting  files. 

Special  cautions  in  various  terrain  are  as  follows : 

1.  Broad  plains. 

Movements  in  such  a  terrain  must  be  in  accordance 
with  the  following  principles,  as  great  errrors  in  direction 
arise  from  small  differences  in  angles : 

(a)  Make  reliable  roads,  or  a  prolonged  physical 
object,  the  standard. 

(6)     Reliance  on  prominent  objects. 

(c)  Reliance  on  the  stars. 

(d)  Use  of  the  compass. 

(e)  Use  of  maps. 

(/)  Reliance  on  the  judgment  of  a  well  trained 
mind. 

2.  Woods. 

It  is  as  easy  to  mistake  directions  in  woods  as  in 
open  plains;  often  it  will  be  so  dark  that  no  stars  will 
be  visible.  The  principles  laid  down  under  "Broad 
Plains,"  are  equally  applicable  to  " Woods." 

3.  Depressions. 

After  entering  a  depression,  a  mistake  is  often  made 
in  direction  when  going  up  again  on  high  ground.  The 
following  precautions  are  therefore  important. 

(a)  Before  entering  a  depression,  establish  guiding 
points  on  high  ground  both  front  and  rear. 

(b)  At  the  bottom  of  the  depression,  especially, 
make  certain  of  the  direction  in  which  you  will  ascend. 

(c)  If  necessary,  establish  other  directions,  also. 


79 

4.     Obstacles. 

When  crossing  obstacles,  it  is  very  easy  to  mistake 
directions  even  though  advancing  straight  to  the  front. 
This  is  especially  true  when  making  a  detour ;  the  fol- 
lowing cautions  will  be  found  important : 

(a)  Select  guiding  points  in  front  and  rear  before 
crossing. 

(6)  Observe  the  direction  of  the  obstacle,  and  cal- 
culate its  angle  with  your  previous  road. 

(c)  If  necesssary,  determine  the  direction  anew 
after  passing  the  obstacle. 

Night  Patrols  and  Method  of  Reconnaissance  and 
Passing  of  Various  Terrain  and  Physical  Objects.— 

1.     Woods. 

More  minute  care  must  be  exercised  with  respect  to 
woods  at  night  than  in  day  time.  The  following 
things,  especially,  must  be  borne  in  mind : 

(a)  Don't  enter  a  woods  unless  unavoidable;  on 
account  of  its  darkness  the  field  of  view  is  restricted, 
there  is  sure  to  be  noise,  and  it  is  unfavorable  for  hearing, 
so  pass  around  the  edge  if  possible. 

(6)  When  about  to  enter  a  woods,  first  reconnoiter 
the  interior;  if  possible  one  man  will  advance  to  the 
edge. 

(c)  While  in  the  woods,  stop  from  time  to  time  and 
listen. 

(d)  When  the  passage  is  difficult,  even  though  you 
force  your  way  through,  it  will  usually  do  more  harm 
than  good. 

(e)  It  is  important  that  one  should  always  expect 
to  run  into  the  enemy. 


80 

(/)  The  principles  already  stated  in  previous 
articles  concerning  direction,  connection,  etc.,  should 
be  followed. 

2.  Villages. 

Villages  are  similar  to  woods,  but  the  following 
special  cautions  are  important: 

(a)  It  is  a  good  thing  to  avoid  villages,  as  a  patrol 
is  liable  to  be  molested  by  dogs,  natives,  or  hidden 
enemies. 

(6)  When  about  to  enter  a  village,  first  reconnoiter 
the  interior  from  the  outside ;  if  nothing  unusual  is  seen 
then  it  may  be  entered. 

(c)  One  man  should  advance  along  the  edge  of  the 
village. 

(d)  Sieze  a  native  and  question  him  concerning 
conditions ;  his  attitude  should  afford  some  clue  to  con- 
ditions. 

(e)  While,  at  times,  it  is  advantageous  to  sieze 
hostages,  it  is  disadvantageous  to  arouse  hostility. 

(/)  The  patrol  should  pass  along  the  side  of  the 
street  in  shadow. 

With  respect  to  the  maintenance  of  direction,  con- 
nection, etc.,  see  those  chapters  devoted  to  those  sub- 
jects. 

3.  Defiles. 

If  a  defile  is  encountered  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
enemy,  act  in  accordance  with  the  following  principles : 

(a)  As  there  is  usually  a  hostile  sentinel  at  the  mouth 
of  the  defile,  verify  it. 

(b)  When  about  to  enter,  one  man  will  be  placed 
some  distance  in  rear,  and  will  follow  only  when  the 


81 

man  preceding  him  has  entered  safely.  At  this  time, 
the  patrol  leader  will  be  in  front,  with  one  man  some- 
what in  his  rear,  and  the  third  man  still  further  in  rear. 

i 

4.  Open  country. 

In  open  country,  the  following  principles  are  appli- 
cable : 

(a)  Move  with  as  low  a  posture  as  possible. 

(b)  Take   as   much  interval   as   possible;  in   this 
case,  the  patrol  leader  is  in  the  center,  and  guides  both 
flanks  of  the  patrol. 

(c)  Watch  the  enemy's  direction,  and  put  the  ear 
to  the  ground  and  listen  for  noises. 

5.  Roads. 

In  order  to  avoid  being  seen  by  the  enemy,  march  on 
the  side  of  the  road  in  shadow ;  if  you  travel  in  the  center 
of  the  road,  discovery  is  easy.  The  character  of  the 
road  surface,  and  its  relation  to  the  amount  of  noise 
produced,  must  also  be  borne  in  mind.  Therefore  the 
patrol,  itself,  should  move  quietly,  and  listen  for  sounds 
made  by  the  enemy. 

6.  Gravelly  ground. 

As  much  noise  is  produced  while  traveling  over 
gravelly  ground,  special  caution  is  necessary.  It  will 
be  found  disadvantageous  for  the  whole  patrol  to  move 
at  the  same  time,  and  halt  at  the  same  time ;  therefore 
one  man  will  halt,  and  the  other  two  continue  the 
advance,  or  they  will  advance  in  turn,  etc. 

7.  High  ground  and  depression. 

High  ground  is  advantageous  for  vision,  but  there  is 
danger  of  being  seen  by  the  enemy  when  descending. 
When  the  descending  slope  is  very  precipitous,  quiet 


82 

movement  becomes  difficult;  therefore,  the  patrol 
should  proceed  as  on  gravelly  ground.  When  climbing 
to  high  ground,  the  patrol  should  halt  at  the  crest  line 
and  watch  and  listen.  It  is  a  good  thing,  too,  to  stop 
quietly  and  listen,  before  crossing  the  crest  line. 

Night  Patrols  and  Indications. — When  there  are 
suspicious  indications,  the  patrol  will  lie  down  at  once 
and  listen.  Its  duty  can  best  be  performed  if  it  is 
always  prepared,  and  discovers  the  enemy  first ;  accord- 
ingly it  must  avoid  moving  or  firing  rashly.  As  a  patrol' s 
movements  differ  more  or  less  with  the  nature  of  their 
duty,  we  will  discuss  each  duty  separately. 

(a)  When  entrusted  with  the  duty  of  reconnoiter- 
ing  the  enemy's  outpost  line.     When  on  such  duty,  if  a 
hostile  patrol  is  discovered,  the  patrol  will  lie  down  at 
once  and  allow  it  to  pass.     Even  though  there  are  op- 
portunities for  taking  prisoners,  the  patrol  must  not 
allow  such  side  issues  to  divert  it  from  its  true  mission. 
Its  action  upon  discovery  of  the  enemy's  sentinels  will 
be  discussed  in  another  place. 

(b)  When  reconnoitering  the  enemy's  outpost  line, 
or  the  position  of  detachments  in  rear.     The  patrol 
advances  as  in  the  preceding  case.     If  a  hostile  patrol 
is  encountered  while  on  the  return  journey,  or  after  the 
weak  points  of  the  sentinels  have  been  discovered,  it  is 
very  important  not  to  make  any  movement  which  will 
discover  its  presence  and  thus  cause  the  enemy  to  change 
his  dispositions. 

(c)  After  the  patrol  has  performed  its  mission, 
there  are  times  when  it  is  advantageous  to  try  to  capture 
or  kill  the  enemy.     However  the  patrol's  prompt  report 
must  not  be  sacrificed  for  this  purpose,  neither  must  the 


83 

proper  opportunity  be  mistaken.  A  plan  evolved  from 
the  prompting  of  curiosity  or  the  desire  for  fame,  is 
not  to  be  commended.  No  movement  should  be  decided 
upon  without  due  consideration. 

A  Night  Patrol's  Reconnaissance  of  the  Enemy's  Line 
oj  Sentinels, — 

1.  Time  for  reconnaissance. 

The  most  advantageous  times  for  such  reconnais- 
sance are  as  follows : 

(a)  At  the  time  of  the  sentinel's  relief. 

(b)  When  a  visiting  patrol  passes. 

(c)  When  a  patrol  returns. 

(d)  At  the  time  of  the  arrival  of  connecting  moving 
sentinels. 

Such  times  are  convenient  on  account  of  the  noise 
arising  from  the  movement,  and  from  talking.  There- 
fore, the  reconnoitering  patrol  previous  to  this  time, 
should  have  approached  the  line  of  sentinels,  and  have 
hidden  in  their  vicinity. 

2.  Movements  going  and  returning. 

These  movements  do  not  differ  from  those  pre- 
viously made  by  the  patrol  against  the  enemy. 

3.  Methods  of  reconnaissance. 

The  patrol  being  hidden,  as  we  have  already  de- 
scribed, it  should  strive  to  discover  the  position  of  one 
sentinel ;  this  being  used  as  a  base  will  assist  in  the  dis- 
covery of  the  other  posts  and  non-commissioned  officer 
posts.  Having  reconnoitered  the  intervening  open 
ground,  the  enemy's  method  of  security  can  be  verified, 
and  it  can  be  judged  whether  or  not  it  would  be  a  good 
thing  to  enter  the  line  of  sentinels.  To  accomplish 


84 

this,  it  is  a  good  thing  to  follow  directly  after  a  passing 
moving  sentinel  or  a  visiting  patrol. 

Night  Patrols  and  Quiet. — Patrols  will  not  fire  at 
night.  If  they  do  so,  their  mission  will  become  difficult 
of  accomplishment,  and  it  will  be  harmful  to  succeeding 
hidden  movements  as  well.  Again,  patrols  will  not  talk — 
from  this  comes  danger  of  discovery  by  the  enemy.  A 
patrol's  halting,  lying  down,  and  hiding,  will  be  without 
word  or  sound.  There  must  be  no  double- timing,  or 
confusion  arising  from  lack  of  coolness  or  fear.  Only 
in  sudden  danger,  when  there  is  no  other  means  of 
escape,  or  as  a  substitute  for  a  quick  report,  may  firing 
be  employed. 

Night  Patrols  and  Their  Roads. — Night  patrols  will 
vary  their  roads  in  coming  and  going.  If  this  is  not 
done,  there  is  danger  of  encountering  a  hidden  enemy. 
If,  on  account  of  being  on  the  return  road,  the  service 
of  security  be  neglected  or  noise  be  made,  the  enemy  is 
liable  to  take  advantage  of  it.  During  the  late  war,  a 
patrol  opposite  the  Shaho  river,  was  in  the  habit  of 
resting  in  a  certain  locality  where  the  men  would  make  a 
fire.  The  enemy  discovered  it,  and  planted  a  bomb 
there.  For  such  reasons,  it  is  especially  important 
to  return  by  a  different  road. 

Night  Patrols  and  Reconnaissance  and  Recollection 
of  Terrain. — As  members  of  patrols  will  sometimes  be 
used  as  guides,  they  will  reconnoiter  the  terrain  with 
that  object  in  view,  and  their  memory  must  be  trained 
at  the  same  time.  While  this  training  is  being  carried 
out,  the  following  points  will  be  borne  in  mind : 

(a)  A  base  for  fixing  direction. 

(b)  The  aligning  and  recollection  of  places. 


85 

(c)  How  to  pass  obstacles,  and  points  to  be  care- 
ful of  in  so  doing. 

(d)  The  extent  of  the  use  of  roads  and  neighboring 
ground. 

(e)  Special  marks — such  may  be  made  as  follows: 

1.  Scattering  white  paper. 

2.  Scattering  white  powder. 

3.  Breaking  limbs  of  trees,  or  trees  themselves. 

4.  Tying  on  white  paper  "or  white  rags. 

5.  Establishing  road  marks  or  signs. 

The  principles  governing  the  recollection  of  physical 
objects  are  similar  to  those  under  the  section  "Duties 
of  Messengers." 

XXIX. 

NIGHT  HIDDEN  PATROLS. 

Such  patrols  hide  in  important  places  and  discover 
and  report  important  matters;  their  movements,  of 
course,  depend  upon  the  special  purpose  for  which 
they  are  employed.  However, -under  no  circumstances, 
must  they  make  their  appearance  rashly.  The  duties 
of  hidden  patrols  although  apparently  simple,  are  not  so 
in  reality;  success  is  more  and  more  difficult,  according 
to  the  importance  of  the  mission.  To  simply  order  a 
patrol  to  hide  at  a  certain  place  and  only  vaguely  in- 
dicate their  other  movements,  is  useless.  Whether 
it  is  to  capture  a  hostile  patrol,  or  to  simply  report 
the  approach  of  the  enemy,  or  to  report  other  conditions 
(the  enemy's  movements,  etc.),  all  must  be  indicated 
clearly  and  accurately.  In  many  instances,  hidden 


86 

patrols  will  not  be  called  upon  to  perform  duties  which 
other  patrols  can  execute.  On  the  other  hand,  there  will 
be  things  difficult  for  ordinary  patrols — such  as  the  recog- 
nition of  the  enemy's  night  attack,  maintenance  of  close 
contact,  etc. — which  must  be  entrusted  to  hidden  pa- 
trols. In  such  cases,  if  the  patrol  tries  to  capture  a 
hostile  patrol,  or  if  they  go  to  the  rear  to  report,  their 
position  will  be  discovered.  A  hidden  patrol,  accord- 
ingly almost  never  receives  communication  or  visiting 
patrols  from  other  bodies. 

Suitable  Characteristics  for  Hidden  Patrols. — A  hidden 
patrol,  compared  to  an  ordinary  patrol,  remains  a  long 
time  in  proximity  to  the  enemy;  its  members  must, 
therefore,  possess  the  following  qualities :  Fearlessness, 
coolness,  patience,  intelligence  and  quickness. 

Impetuous  men  quickly  become  confused  and  are 
not  suitable  for  this  duty.  During  the  Japanese- 
Russian  War,  our  hidden  patrols  on  the  Shaho  river, 
though  they  did  their  work  well,  were  sometimes  taken 
prisoners  by  the  enemy;  but  they  did  not  capture  any 
of  the  enemy's  patrols. 

Distribution  of  Hidden  Patrols. — No  one  should 
know  the  position  of  the  hidden  patrol  but  the  patrol  it- 
self, and  the  one  who  posts  it.  In  this  connection,  the 
following  points  will  be  borne  in  mind : 

(a)  It  is  disadvantageous  for  the  natives  or  enemy 
to  know  the  position. 

(b)  Do  not  loiter  about  the  position  unnecessarily 
before  assuming  it. 

(c)  Remain  in  another  position  until  dusk ,  and  when 
it  becomes  dark  enter  the  true  position  secretly. 


87 

(d)  Other  patrols  or  visiting  patrols  will  not  ap- 
proach or  halt  at  this  patrol's  position. 

(e)  When  discovered  by  the  enemy,  or  by  natives, 
the  patrol  will  quickly  withdraw ;  it  will  strive  to  create 
the  impression  that  it  has  entirely  withdrawn,  but  later 
it  will  assume  a  new  position. 

Position  of  Hidden  Patrols. — Although  the  position 
of  a  hidden  patrol  will  be  in  accordance  with  its  objective, 
the  following  points  will  be  borne  in  mind : 

(a)  It  should  be  a  place  from  which  important 
things  can  be  discovered.     For  example,  in  order  to 
learn  of  the  enemy's  advance,  it  must  be  in  the  vicinity 
of  important  roads. 

(b)  A  place  convenient  for  observation,  but  diffi- 
cult of  detection. 

(c)  A  place  not  easy  for  the  enemy  to  surprise. 

(d)  A  place  where  the  patrol  can  send  a  messenger 
or  signal  to  its  friends  without  being  discovered  by  the 
enemy. 

(e)  A  place  not  on  a  road  used  by  the  natives. 

XXX. 

TRAINING  OF  NIGHT  PATROLS. 

Training  and  Terrain. — We  have  already  mentioned 
the  necessity  of  training  patrols  on  varying  terrain. 
Both  sentinels  and  patrols  require  such  training. 

Methods  of  Training. — 

1.  Instruction  in  the  relations  between  sentinels 
and  patrols. 

(a)     Preparation. 


Having  assembled  the  men  to  be  instructed,  the  im- 
portance of  this  training  will  be  explained.  Distribute 
instructors  and  sentinels  as  in  the  sketch.  The  opposing 
sentinels  will  be  at  such  a  distance  that  they  cannot 
see  each  other ;  in  this  interval  there  is  space  for  patrols 
to  move.  Time  will  be  wasted,  however,  if  they  move 

too  far. 

¥        ~B  2.     Orders  for  instruct- 

9  9  ors. 

Each  instructor  will  be 
informed  as .  to  the  points 
in  which  he  will  instruct  his 
men.  He  will  be  placed  in 
a  particular  position,  and 
vP  ^  given  the  approximate  time 
which  he  can  use  for  one 
peri  od  of  instruction .  Such 
training  will  follow  this  gen- 
eral method : 

(a)     The  instructor    at 

B  oversees  and  corrects  the 

4     _  ..  patrol's  movements  against 

7«»t'ine/'4  A     6       A  It.  .-1  j        • 

-p    '  the  sentinel,  and  wee  versa. 

*    '  (6)     The  instructor  at  C 

acts  in  a  similar  manner  to 
to  the  one  at  B. 

This  distribution  having 
been  made,  a  patrol  will  be 
sent  out  from  the  squad, 
first,  encountering  the 

sentinel's  post  A;  after  this  movements  has  been  cor- 
rected, the  patrol  will  proceed  toward  C  and  B.  The 
officer  in  charge  will  send  out  other  patrols  at  proper 


89 

intervals,  and  when  the  exercise  is  concluded,  will 
assemble  the  squad  at  A;  then  from  the  reports  of  his 
assistant  instructors  and  his  own  observations,  will 
comment  upon  the  men's  movements. 

3.  Secretly  entering  and  leaving  enemy's  line  of 
sentinels. 

(a)     Post  sentinels  as  in 

O O  the  sketch ;  give  them  simple 

>0  orders,  such  as,  to  keep  on 

^  the  lookout  for  the   enemy, 

*  |  «     etc. 

6         0*0- 

t  (b)     Next,  send  out  a  pa- 

1          *  trol  to  act  as  a  hostile  patrol 

~  (they  should  attach  a  white 

^      cloth,  or  some  other  distin- 
P  CL 

p  guishing  mark) ;   this  patrol 

will  try  to  enter  the  line  of 
sentinels  without  being  discovered. 

(c)  The  instructors  oversee  the  movements  of  both 
sentinels  and  patrol,  and  judge  of  the  success  of  the 
movement. 

4.  Search  for  the  enemy's  line  of  sentinels. 
Having  posted  the  sentinels  and  attached  an  asssit- 

ant  instructor  to  each  post,  have  them  carry  out  the 
usual  duties  of  sentinels.  Their  position  in  unknown 
to  the  squad  from  which  the  patrols  are  sent  out  to 
search  for  the  enemy's  line  of  sentinels.  At  this  period 
of  instruction,  two  methods  may  be  employed : 

(a)  Make  an  assistant  instructor  chief  of  the  patrol, 
the  remainder  being  recruits. 

(b)  Place  an  assistant  instructor  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  sentinels  and  have  them  criticise  the  movement, 


90 

and  furnish  material  for  the  officer's  criticisms.  It  is 
important  to  limit  the  patrol's  sphere  of  movement, 
and  thus  avoid  unprofitable  dispersion. 

5.  Training  when  meeting  hostile  patrols. 

The  instructor,  having  divided  the  squad  into  two 
parts,  attaches  an  assistant  instructor  to  each  squad, 
and  places  himself  midway  between  the  squads.  He 
carries  a  disappearing  light,  with  which  he  signals  to 
both  squads  concerning  the  sending  out  of  patrols. 
The  non-commissioned  cfficer  in  charge  of  the  squads 
divide  them  into  patrols,  and  sends  out  these  patrols 
in  the  direction  of  the  instructor.  Each  patrol  will 
be  ordered  to  return  to  its  squad  after  they  have  re- 
connoitered  the  locality  indicated  by  the  assistant 
instructor.  From  his  position,  the  instructor  watches 
the  movements  of  both  patrols,  and  corrects  them  if 
necessary.  When  the  men  have  had  some  training  in 
this  movement,  one  squad  operates  directly  against 
another. 

6.  Methods  of  training  in  how  to  pass  and  recon- 
noiter  terrain  and  physical  objects  do  not  differ  in  prin- 
ciple from  the  methods  employed  in  day  time,  which 
have  already  been  explained. 

XXXI. 

MOVEMENTS  OF  A  DETACHMENT  AT  NIGHT. 

Leadership  at  Night. — We  have  examined,  roughly, 
the  natural  qualities  required  of  the  men  at  nighttime, 
the  next  thing  is  the  manner  of  leadership.  The 
difficulty  of  such  leadership  at  night,  is  beyond  descrip- 
tion. In  turning  our  attention  to  this  kind  of  train- 


91 

ing,  one  point  stands  out  most  prominently — quietness 
of  leadership.  At  night,  as  it  is  important  to  avoid 
discovery  by  the  enemy,  the  men  under  one's  command 
must  be  a  mass  without  sound — and  this  mass  must 
move  by  silent  leadership. 

The  value  of  night  movements  depends  upon  the 
amount  of  skill  displayed  in  silent  leadership.  Such 
leadership  is  attained  by  the  following  means : 

1.     By  signals. 

These  signals  will  be  briefly  explained  to  the  men, 
and  may  be  made  by  a  saber,  flag  or  light ;  in  any  case, 
the  following  requirements  must  be  fulfilled : 

(a)  The  signal  must  be  clearly  understood  by  the 
men. 

(b)  It  must  not  be  visible  to  the  enemy. 

There  is  no  necessity  for  a  great  amount  of  drill  in 
this  kind  of  signalling,  because  night  movements  are 
seldom  complicated.  Such  movements  are  the  causes 
of  failure,  and  simple  movements  and  consequently 
simple  signals  only  will  be  employed.  For  example : 

(a)  Advance — raise  the   object    with    which    the 
signal  is  made,  vertically. 

(b)  Halt — raise  and  lower  the  object,  keeping  it 
vertical. 

(c)  Lie  down — Move  the  object  toward  the  ground. 

(d)  To  form  parallel  columns  and  advance — a  cir- 
cular motion,  or  several  times  to  the  right  and  left. 

(e)  To  f  Drm  column  of  companies  and  advance — A 
circular  movement.         :.• 

There  are  several  other  important  signals  in  which 


92 

commanding  officers  will  instruct  their  men  in  the  day- 
time. 

2.  Method  by  relays. 

The  success  of  this  method  of  silent  leadership  de- 
pends greatly  upon  the  amount  of  training  in  peace  time. 
When  the  voice  is  used,  it  is  important  that  it  be  just 
loud  enough  to  be  heard  by  the  neighboring  soldier,  and 
that  the  rate  of  speech  be  as  rapid  as  possible.  Although 
these  methods  can  be  accurately  executed  when  the 
enemy  is  at  some  distance,  there  is  always  the  danger 
of  messengers  making  mistakes,  and  delay  is  directly 
proportional  to  the  distance  from  the  sender.  How- 
ever, in  many  cases,  the  formation  at  night  being  the 
normal  formation  in  column  of  companies,  neither  the 
front  or  depth  will  be  very  great,  and,  if  well  trained  in 
this  method,  success  can  be  expected. 

3.  Method  by  example. 

Soldiers  move  in  accordance  with  the  movements  of 
their  leaders ;  in  order  that  this  may  be  done,  the  leader 
must  be  in  such  a  position  that  he  can  be  clearly  seen  by 
his  men.  Then  when  the  leader  moves,  the  men  move ; 
when  he  halts,  they  halt ;  and  when  he  lies  down,  they 
lie  down  also.  Troops  can  be  led  comparatively  easily 
by  this  method;  and  even  though  men  cannot  see  the 
leader  directly,  they  will  be  able  to  conform  to  his 
movements.  The  weak  point  of  this  method  is,  that 
timid  soldiers  unconsciously  affect  the  movements  of 
others.  Therefore  in  time  of  peace,  the  characteristics 
of  each  man  must  be  known,  and  the  training  must  be 
done  with  minute  care. 

To  Accustom  Troops  to  Change  of  Formation  at 
Night. — A  change  of  formation  at  night  is  attended  with 


93 

various  kinds  of  confusion.  Even  if  this  is  not  the  case, 
it  is  difficult  to  carry  it  out  quietly,  and  slackness  is 
unavoidable.  Therefore  training  in  carrying  out  simple 
changes  of  formation  quietly  and  without  confusion,  is 
most  important.  Special  training  should  be  given  in 
executing  the  following  movements : 

(a)  Column  of  fours  to  parallel  columns — circular 
signal. 

(b)  Parallel   columns   to   company   columns — cir- 
cular signal. 

(c)  Column  of  fours  to  company  column — circular, 
right  and  left  signal. 

(d)  Column  of  companieis  and  parallel  columns  to 
column  of  fours — front  to  rear  signal. 

In  these  signals,  as  a  general  principle,  a  circular 
signal  means  changing  to  a  broader  front;  a  signal 
from  front  to  rear  means  contracting  the  front  and  in- 
creasing depth  of  column. 

Individual  Cautions  in  Movement  by  Squad.  (See 
Night  Movements  of  Squad) . 

(a)  Not  to  talk. 

(b)  Not  to  hang  the  head  during  the  march. 

(c)  To  be  careful  about  connection  in  the  squad; 
each  man  will  keep  his  place  accurately; 

(d)  Each   man   will   see   that    his    clothing    and 
equipments  make  no  noise. 


94 


XXXII. 

TRAINING  IN    SQUAD    MOVEMENT   AT   NIGHT. 

Order. — First,  without  arms,  proceeding  by  gradual 
steps  until  fully  armed  and  equipped.  Very  simple 
movements,  as  the  advance,  retreat,  etc.,  will  be  carried 
out  at  first,  gradually  leading  up  to  complicated  ones. 
The  signals  should  be  learned  thoroughly  in  daytime, 
and,  later, .executed  at  night. 

Night  Movements  and  Strictness. — Night  move- 
ments, especially,  demand  the  strictest  discipline;  be- 
cause, when  it  is  a  question  of  life  and  death,  the  in- 
fluence of  darkness  brings  into  being  the  animal  love 
of  life,  and  there  is  the  fear  that  supervision  may  be 
avoided  with  consequent  loss  of  power.  At  nighttime, 
therefore,  slackness  must  not  be  permitted.  Speed, 
silence,  and  strict  discipline  are  essential,  and  the 
amount  of  training  will  be  directly  proportional  to  the 
degree  in  which  the  troops  possess  those  qualities. 

XXXIII. 

A  SQUAD'S  NIGHT  FIRING. 

When  Carried  Out. — It  is  a  very  rare  occasion  when 
firing  can  be  executed  at  night.  Conditions  must  be 
such  that  the  squad  is  already  quietly  halted  and  have 
made  sufficient  preparations,  and,  while  in  an  aiming 
position,  await  the  appearance  of  the  enemy.  During 
the  Japanese-Russian  War,  night  operations  were 
frequent,  but  instances  when  the  charge  was  executed 
with  the  bayonet,  alone,  were  few.  At  the  very  shortest 


95 

ranges,  a  fierce  fire  was  poured  in,  and  then  the  charge 
was  attempted.  However  from  the  standpoint  of  the 
offensive,  it  is  a  great  mistake  to  prepare  for  the  charge 
by  fire  action ;  as  a  fundamental  principle,  the  assault  of 
the  enemy's  position  must  be  made  directly  by  the 
bayonet.  Under  really  unavoidable  circumstances  only 
will  an  instant's  violent  fire  be  executed,  and  then, 
under  cover  of  the  confusion  caused  by  that  fire,  dash 
in  with  the  bayonet.  However,  if  such  fire  action 
delays  the  offensive  movement,  it  will  do  more  harm 
than  good. 

From  the  standpoint  of  the  offensive,  however,  it 
is  a.  different  matter.  Knowing  of  the  enemy's  attack, 
preparations  for  night  firing  are  completed,  a  violent 
fire  carried  out  after  the  enemy  has  approached  within 
very  short  range  is  most  effective ;  and  if  this  be  followed 
by  a  counter  attack,  success  often  follows.  For  such 
reasons  training  in  night  firing  is  very  important, 
especially  in  the  case  of  small  detachments,  such  as 
sentinels,  non-commissioned  officer's  posts,  etc.  When 
they  understand  such  night  firing  and  make  good 
use  of  it,  they  will  be  able  to  obtain  very  good  results. 

Important  Points  in  the  Preparation  for  Night  Firing. 
—In  night  firing,  the  men  must  be  prepared  in  all  the 
following  points.  The  angle  and  direction  of  fire 
should  be  simple,  and  the  enemy  should  not  be  able  to 
avoid  it.  The  methods  are  as  follows: 

(a)  Prepare  a  rest  for  the  rifle,  and  in  the  daytime 
from  this  rest,  fix  exactly  the  angle  of  fire,  direction,  and 
position  of  aiming. 

(6)     Use  horizontal  firing. 


96 

(c)  Aim  by  a  light  from  a  lantern,  bonfire,  or  other 
luminous  object,  or  fire  by  reflected  light. 

(d)  Fix  an  aiming  object  near  the  muzzle  of  the  gun 
(auxiliary  firing) . 

First  Method. — In  many  cases,  prepare  a  wooden 
support;  that  is,  in  order  to  preserve  the  angle  of  the 
rifle,  fix  a  fulcrum  at  front  and  rear,  and  from  this  obtain 
the'  angle  of  fire  according  to  the  range.  (This  is 
easily  fixed  by  practicing  in  the  daytime.)  In  short, 
provide  for  the  two  important  points — maintenance  of 
direction,  and  of  the  angle  of  fire.  (See  sketch.) 

Second  Method. — This  method  employs  horizontal 
fire  trained  individually  during  peace  time.  The  train- 
ing will  be  by  squad,  and  the  following  cautions  are 
especially  necessary: 

(a)  Each  man  to  fire  exactly  to  his  front. 

(b)  Each  man's  firing  to  be  exact. 

(c)  The  feet  must  not  be  moved  unnecessarily. 

Third  Method. — In  a  small  squad,  the  following 
expedient  may  be  adopted :  Change  the  day  and  night 
positions  so  that  the  enemy  will  appear  on  the  skyline. 
When  the  enemy  is  outlined  against  the  sky,  firing  can 
be  carried  out.  However,  in  large  detachments,  this 
method  gives  the  advantage  of  position  to  the  enemy, 
which  they  can  utilize  to  our  disadvantage  when  it 
becomes  light.  However,  in  the  case  of  non-commis- 
sioned officer's  posts  and  pickets,  good  results  have  been 
obtained  in  practice  during  campaigns. 

There  are  other  methods;  there  is  the  firing  carried 
out  after  having  caused  the  enemy  to  appear  in  front  of 


97 


a  bright  light  which  outlines  him  clearly.  Small  bodies 
can  use  this  method  effectively,  if  they  are  composed  of 
men  who  do  not  fear  death.  This  plan,  naturally,  re- 
quires the  fire  to  be  lighted  in  rear  of  the  enemy,  and,  of 
course,  great  danger  cannot  be  avoided.  Flaming  shells 
may  be  fired,  and  direct  aiming  carried  out  by  their 
light;  at  short  ranges  there  will  be  a  comparatively 
large  number  of  hits. 


-7777777KM/77777 


'//////////M7777777 


98 

Fourth  Method. — An  auxiliary  target  is  placed  in 
front  of  the  firer  at  which  he  aims.  Commanding 
officers  must  examine  the  sights  strictly  in  thi§  method. 

Method  of  Firing. — Loading  the  piece  after  the 
enemy  has  approached  closely,  is  the  foundation  of 
unsuccessful  firing.  Therefore  officers  and  men  must 
know  the  following  things : 

(a)  To  load  so  as  not  to  be  discovered  by  the 
enemy. 

(b)  Not  to  forget  orders  to  load,  or  other  orders. 

(c)  Not  to  discover  their  position  to  the  enemy. 
In  order  to  accomplish  this,  the  firer,  of  course, 

will  load  before  the  enemy's  charge.  The  command  for 
firing  will  be  by  signal,  or  in  a  low  tone  of  voice.  It  the 
enemy  hear  the  command  ".Aim,"  they  will  quickly  lie 
down  and  thus  avoid  the  flying  bullets  which  come  at 
the  next  command  "Fire."  Actual  experience  in  cam- 
paign proves  this.  In  small  bodies,  the  following  mode 
of  action  is  advantageous,  because  I  have  used  it  suc- 
cessfully in  actual  practice : 

(a)  Have  the  commands  for  aiming  transmitted 
from  the  commander  by  soldiers  nearest  him  to  neigh- 
boring soldiers,  and  so  on  down  the  line  (in  a  low  tone.) 

(b)  The  commanding  officer  gives  the  command  for 
firing  according  to  the  size  of  the  detachment  and  the 
rapidity  of  transmission;   at  this  time,  those  who  have 
not  loaded,  or  those  behind  time,  will  not  fire. 

(c)  After  firing  at  the  command,  the  men  will  load 
without  any  special  order. 

The  above  is  simply  an  example,  and  must  not  be 
adhered  to,  blindly. 


99 

Night  Firing,  and  Collective  and  Individual  Fire. — 
Long  continued  individual  fire  is  not  advisable,  for  it 
discloses  the  position  and  range  to  the  enemy.  In 
many  cases,  therefore,  it  is  a  good  thing  to  employ 
collective  fire,  thereby  keeping  the  men  well  in  hand. 
Such  fire  has  the  advantage  of  dazzling  the  enemy's 
sight  by  a  temporary  flash,  and  then  relapsing  into 
darkness,  and  is  thus  especially  valuable  at  night.  In 
any  case,  firing  discloses  our  position  more  or  less  to  the 
enemy;  therefore,  during  firing,  strict  watchfulness  is 
necessary  to  prevent  the  enemy  from  going  around  our 
fire  and  appearing  on  our  flank  or  rear. 

XXXIV. 

METHOD  OF  TRAINING  IN  SQUAD  FIRING  AT  NIGHT. 

Order  and  Methods  of  Training. — Train  the  squad  in 
horizontal  firing  in  daytime;  then  execute  it  at  night 
against  various  kinds  of  targets.  After  practice  with 
blank  cartridges,  train  them  in  battle  firing  with  real 
ammunition.  It'  is  often  convenient  to  carry  out  this 
and  other  necessary  training  at  the  time  of  intrenching. 

XXXV. 

SQUAD    NIGHT    INTRENCHMENTS. 

Mehtod  of  Tracing. — In  tracing  intrenchments  at 
night,  the  following  methods  may  be  employed: 

(a)  Advance  as  skirmishers,  halt,  and  dig  in  that 
position. 

(b)  Establish  soldiers  or  trees  as  markers. 


100 

(c)  Use  a  tracing  line. 

(d)  Scatter  white  powder  or  white  paper. 

In  whatever  method  that  may  be  adopted,  the  com 
manding  officer  will  exercise  strict  watchfulness,  and 
when  he  has  fixed  the  position,  he  will  fix  the  trace 
according  to  one  of  the  above  plans.  It  is  very  import- 
ant not  to  mistake  the  direction  in  night  tracing,  as 
there  are  many  examples  of  ridiculous  mistakes  on  the 
battlefield. 

Methods  Relative  to  the  Line  of  Trace. — 

(a)  Method  in  which  the  ground  is  occupied  in 
column  of  fours. 

(b)  Method  by  extension  or  deployment  (in  posi- 
tion) . 

(c)  Method  by  advancing  after  deployment. 
Although  the  conditions  of  the  hour  will  largely 

govern,  on  a  dark  night  it  is  an  exact  way,  to  form 
column  of  fours  to  the  right  or  left  extending  to  the 
markers  (see  sketch) . 

Night  Intrenchments,  Cautions  for  Individual  Sol- 
diers and  Execution  of  the  Work. — The  above  subjects 
have  already  been  discussed  at  other  places. 

Method  of  Filling  Sandbags,  and  Intrenchments  in 
which  Used. — In  this  matter,  also,  much  experience  is 
required.  When  sandbags  are  to  be  used,  the  following 
three  squads  are  necessary: 

(a)  A  squad  to  fill  the  bags. 

(b)  A  squad  to  transport  them. 

(c)  A  squad  to  construct  the  works  with  them. 


101 


Of  course  it  is  advantageous  to  fill  the  sacks  as  near 
as  possible  to  the  place  where  they  will  be  used,  but  con- 
ditions often  prevent  this.  There  are  various  ways  of 
transporting  the  full  sacks.  Progress  is  most. rapid 


j% 6. 


\ 


6* 


h 


when  each  man  works  steadily  in  transporting  the  sacks 
from  the  various  places  where  they  are  filled,  but  if  the 
distance  be  great,  an  intermediate  station  must  be 
established,  and  each  man  will  put  down  his  burden 
there.  Although  the  method  of  laying  the  sandbags 
will  conform  to  the  actual  conditions,  they  will  not  be 
laid  so  as  to  form  pillars,  but  will  .be  laid  generally  level 
like  a  skirmish  trench  by  gradually  progressing  construe- 


102 

tion.  In  short,  in  this  work,  order,  connection,  quiet- 
ness and  coolness  are  required,  just  as  in  complicated 
engineering  works. 


XXXVI. 

METHOD  OF  TRAINING  IN  NIGHT  INTRENCHING. 

When  the  men  are  well  trained  in  this  work,  the 
remainder  is  a  question  of  leadership  of  the  command- 
ing officer.  The  order  of  training  is  as  follows : 

(a)  When  the  enemy  is  distant,  training  in  the  con- 
struction is  the  principal  objective. 

(b)  Training  in  the  case  of  the  gradual  approach 
of  the  enemy. 


103 

(c)  Training  when  there  is  fear  of  the  enemy's 
attack. 

When  the  above  methods  of  training  have  been 
carried  out  in  order,  practice  will  be  had  in  opposing  an 
attack  during  the  construction  of  the  work;  or  con- 
nect this  training  with  some  drill  in  which  they  will  use 
the  works  they  have  just  constructed. 

XXXVII. 

TRAINING  AND  METHOD  OF  PASSING  OBSTACLES  AT  NIGHT. 

Importance  of  Passing  Obstacles  by  Detachments  at 
Night. — My  experience  has  been  that  often  small 
obstacles  delay  the  march  at  night ;  and  these  obstacles 
are  all  the  more  troublesome  from  the  inability  to  judge 
their  extent,  etc.,  by  the  eye.  On  this  account,  train- 
ing in  crossing  obstacles  at  night  is  most  important. 

Cautions  for  the  Commanding  Officer  with  respect  to 
Obstacles. — 

(a)  He  will  inform  all  men  who  are  to  cross  of  the 
nature  and  extent  of  the  obstacle,  the  preparations  to  be 
made,  points  where  lights  will  be  made,  guiding  marks, 
etc. 

(b)  Orders  concerning  method  of  crossing,  forma- 
tion, rate  (pace),  distribution,  etc. 

(c)  Steps  that  will  be  taken  to  regain   the   con- 
nection that  will  be  lost  during  the  passage  of  the  ob- 
stacles. 

The  above  course  of  procedure  will  vary  greatly 
according  to  the  state  of  the  enemy,  the  weather,  and 
amount  of  light.  Frequently,  in  crossing  obstacles,  the 


104 

column  of  fours  must  change  to  column  of  files.  If 
great  distance  is  taken,  much  time  will  be  consumed 
and  connection  will  be  lost. 

Cautions  for  Soldiers  when  Crossing  Obstacles. — If 
the  men  who  have  already  crossed  the  obstacles  try  to 
regain  the  lost  distance  by  double-timing,  they  will 
lose  touch  with  these  in  rear.  Therefore  they  should 
be  trained  in  the  following  points : 

(a)  After  they  have  been  told  what  the  formation 
is,  they  will  maintain  that  formation  while  crossing  the 
obstacle. 

(b)  When  obstacles  are  encountered,  if  the  state  of 
the  enemy  and  other  conditions  permit,  word  will  be 
sent  back  to  the  rear  concerning  this  obstacle,  and  a 
report  made  of  safe  crossing. 

(c)  The  obstacle  will  be  passed  without  sudden 
halts  or  starts. 

In  the  grand  maneuvers  of  1910,  a  certain  brigade 
of  the  Northern  Army  had  to  make  a  night  march  over 
entirely  unknown  country,  and  the  road  was  only  wide 
enough  for  a  column  of  twos.  On  this  road  was  a  long 
bridge;  when  the  head  of  the  column  reached  it,  they 
began  crossing  in  single  file.  The  troops  in  rear  did 
not  know  the  reason  of  the  halt,  and,  although  there 
were  officers  at  the  head  of  the  column,  the  facts  of  the 
case  were  not  learned,  and  the  brigade  fruitlessly 
waited  the  movements  of  the  head  of  the  column. 
Now  as  a  matter  of  fact,  the  water  was  very  shallow 
and  easy  to  ford.  On  account  of  the  darkness,  however 
the  men  in  front  did  not  think  of  fording.  Even  though 
some  soldiers  who  fell  in  forded  it,  they  did  not  transmit 


105 

the  news,  and  conditions  remained  as  dark  as  before. 
On  this  account  the  march  was  greatly  delayed,  and  it 
was  after  midnight  when  they  arrived  at  their  destina- 
tion. 


XXXVIII. 

NIGHT  MARCHES  AND  TRAINING. 

Occasions  When  Night  Marches  are  Carried  Out. — 

(a)     When    executing    rapid    marches    or    forced 
marches. 

(6)     When  a  beaten  army  is  trying  to  avoid  pursuit. 

(c)  When  attempting  to  avoid  the  attack  of  a 
superior  enemy. 

(d)  In  order  to  decrease  the  effect  of  the  enemy's 
artillery ;  to  use  the  darkness  of  the  preceding  night  to 
advance  to  a  point  convenient  for  preparing  for  the 
attack. 

(e)  When  about  to  carry  out  a  sudden  attack  by 
taking  advantage  of  the  darkness. 

(/)     Occasionally  used   as   a   substitute  for  a  day 
march  on  account  of  the  heat. 

Night  Marches  and  Cautions  for  Staff  Officers. — 
1.     Consideration  as  to  roads. 

(a)  Complete   reconnaissance,    especially   guiding 
marks,  and  repairs. 

(b)  Determination  of  methods  of  passing,  going 
around,  and  removal  of  obstacles. 


106 

(c)     Steps  to  be  taken  to  prevent  taking  wrong 
roads,  etc. 

2.  Consideration  as  to  troops. 

(a)  With  reference  to  connection. 

(b)  With  reference  to  the  avoidance  of  sudden 
halts  and  starts. 

(c)  With   reference   to   the    clear   designation   of 
detachments. 

(d)  With  reference  to  the  selection  and  alteration 
of  formation. 

3.  Consideration  as  to  security. 

(a)  If  lights  are  permitted,  the  number  of  electric 
lights  and  bull's  eye  lanterns  allowed. 

(b)  The  manner  in  which  the  troops  will  be  led— 
whether  by  trumpet,  command,  or  signals. 

(c)  Whether  or  not  smoking  and  talking  are  pro- 
hibited. 

4.  Considerations  when  halting  or  resting. 

(a)  Too  great  intervals  must  not  be  allowed  while 
resting. 

(b)  Troops  will  not  be  allowed  to  choose  their  own 
places  for  rest. 

(c)  The  men  will  not  throw  down  their  weapons, 
or  other  articles  which  they  carry,  unnecessarily. 

(d)  At  the  time  of  moving  on,  a  rigid  inspection 
will  be  held  so  that  no  men  or  articles  will  be  left  behind. 

(e)  The  time  allot ed  for  sleep,  no  more  and  no  less, 
will  be  used  for  that  purpose. 


107 

Individual  Cautions  for  Soldiers  on  a  Night  March. — 

1.  Cautions  before  starting. 

(a)  Clothing  and  equipments  will  be  properly  ar- 
ranged and  adjusted  firmly. 

(b)  Care  will  be  taken  not  to  make  any  noise. 

(c)  Sleep  during  the  time  allotted  for  that  pur- 
pose. 

(d)  Do  not  forget  or  neglect  the  calls  of  nature ;  do 
not  leave  anything  behind. 

2.  Cautions  during  the  march. 

(a)  Be  quiet,  and  do  not  talk  or  smoke. 

(b)  Remain  in  the  position  prescribed. 
(<:)     Maintain  a  uniform  pace. 

(d)  Do  not  start  or  stop  abruptly. 

(e)  Be  careful  about  connection. 
(/)     Do  not  open  out  in  ranks. 

3.  Cautions  during  a  rest. 

(a)  Be  quiet,  and  do  not  talk  or  smoke. 

(b)  Attend  to  the  calls  of  nature,  without  fail. 

(c)  Readjust   equipments  and   do  not  leave  any- 
thing behind. 

(d)  Do  not  rest  away  from  the  vicinity  of  the  stacks 
or  the  place  ordered. 

(e)  Keep  the  haversack  near  the  person. 
(/)     Do  not  sleep  except  when  ordered. 

(g)     Do  not  drink  an  excessive  amount  of  water. 
(h)     Do  not  enter  any  house  unnecessarily. 
(i)     Stay  with  your  comrades  and  mutually  warn 
each  other. 


108 

Night  Marches,  and  Articles  Carried  by  Officers. — 
When  about  to  execute  a  night  march,  the  command- 
ing officer  will  exercise  the  greatest  care,  and  will  only 
move  after  complete  preparations  have  been  made. 
Companies,  without  fail,  will  carry  the  following  articles : 

(a)  Portable  lights  (electric  lights,  or  some  kind  of 
disappearing  light). 

(b)  Whistle  (officers  carry  these). 

(c)  Compasses  (carried  by  sergeants  or  intendance 
non-commissioned  officer). 

(d)  Matches  (carried  as  in  (c). 

(e)  In  the  haversack  of  each   non-commissioned 
officer,  some  white  paper  will  be  placed,  for  use  in  con- 
nection duty. 

(/)  A  small  white  flag  or  white  cloth  (officers  carry 
this). 

(g)  Officers  will  carry,  or  there  will  be  placed  in  the 
segeants'  haversacks,  twenty  to  thirty  meters  of  string. 

(h)  In  the  belt  of  each  soldier,  about  one  meter  of 
string  will  be  tied;  it  will  be  convenient  in  leading 
them  from  the  rear. 

(i)     Usually  soldiers  will  carry  a  cap  cover. 

(/)     All  watches  will  be  set  at  time  of  departure. 

(k)  Those  who  carry  a  sword  will  be  careful  to 
prevent  any  noise  arising  from  it. 

(/)  In  a  night  march,  especially  when  an  encounter 
with  the  enemy  is  anticipated,  drum  and  fife  will  not 
be  used,  and  preparations  will  be  made  to  use  the  trumpet 
alone. 

(m)     All  officers  will  carry  field  glasses. 


109 

XXXIX. 

NIGHT  BATTLES. 

(A)  THE  OFFENSIVE. 
The  Cause  of  Success  in  Night  Attacks.— 
(a)     All  plans  and  distributions  must  be  simple, 

and  complete  preparations  must  be  made. 

(6)     The  ground,  the  state  of  the  enemy,  and  the 

weak  points  of  his  distributions  must  be  known. 

(c)  Our  plans  and  intentions  must  be  concealed. 

(d)  Each  detachment  must  be  given  an  independent 
objective,  and  absolute  uniformity  will  not  be  blindly 
adhered  to. 

(e)  Our  movement  must  begin  near  the  enemy. 
(/)     Make  use  of  the  weather,  move  unexpectedly, 

take  advantage  of  the  enemy's  inattention,  and  utilize 
any  interval  he  may  have  left  vacant. 

(g)  High  morale,  strict  discipline,  and  excellent 
training  are  necessary  factors.  Also,  firm  resolution, 
quietness  and  coolness. 

(h)  The  attacker  must  not  allow  himself  to  be 
hindered  by  any  emergency,  or  by  any  action  of  the 
natives. 

Causes  of   Non-success  in  Night  Attacks. — 

(a)     Lack  of  the  different  causes  stated  above. 

(6)  When  the  defender  moves  on  interior  lines,  and 
displays  skillful  leadership. 

(c)  When  the  defender  changes  his  position  before 
the  assault. 


110 

(d)     The  occurrence  of  unforeseen  contingencies, 
Cautions  in  Night  Movements  ( General  Regulations) , 

(a)  Things  forbidden,  and  measures  adopted  for 
maintaining  silence. 

Soldiers  will  not  load  or  fire  without  orders.  Except 
when  necessary,  information,  messages,  speech,  all 
conversation,  commands,  etc.,  will  not  be  given  in  a 
loud  tone  of  voice.  There  will  be  no  talking  or  whisper- 
ing. Men  who  have  a  cough,  or  wiio  cannot  see  at 
night,  and  horses  that  neigh,  will  not  be  taken  along. 
Take  care  that  no  noise  arises  from  ammunition  boxes, 
mess  tins,  bayonets,  artillery  wheels,  iron  chains,  etc. 
Do  not  take  along  horses  for  light  baggage.  The  neces- 
sary amount  of  ammunition  will  be  distributed  to  in- 
dividuals. 

(b)  Regulations  concerning  connection. 

Attach  white  cloth  or  other  easily  recognizable 
material  to  the  body  or  arm.  Mutual  recognition  will 
be  effected  by  countersign,  signals,  whistle,  etc.  There 
are  other  methods,  such  as  wearing  the  overcoat,  taking 
off  the  blouse,  etc. 

(c)  Regulations  concerning  lights. 

Be  careful  of  the  management  of  bivouac  fires,  the 
prevention  of  smoking  or  making  lights,  and  methods 
of  decreasing  the  reflection  from  the  sword  in  the  moon- 
light. 

(d)  Regulations  concerning  movements. 

Make  a  clear  statement  of  the  objective  of  the  march, 
the  road  to  be  taken,  and  the  method  of  marching. 
The  method  of  connection,  recognition,  the  point  of 
arrival,  and  what  to  do  after  arrival  there  (at  such  a 


Ill 

time,  it  is  difficult  for  the  commanding  officer  to  give 
commands;  if  the  troops  know  beforehand  what  is 
expected  of  them,  they  will  strive  to  do  it.) 

The  Commanding  Officer  and  Soldiers  in  a  Night 
Attack  — 

1.  The  commanding  officer. 

In  order  to  be  able  to  make  detailed  plans,  it  is  im- 
portant that  the  commanding  officer  have  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  the  state  of  the  enemy,  his  dispositions, 
etc.,  the  terrain,  etc.  A  minute  reconnaissance  both 
day  and  night,  must  be  made  over  the  ground  where 
he  expects  to  move. 

The  commanding  officer  must  direct  the  fight,  with 
a  determined  spirit.  His  position  must  be  clearly 
defined,  so  that  information,  messages,  orders,  etc., 
may  be  sent  and  received.  Although  he  must  keep  his 
command  well  in  hand,  after  his  policy  and  plans  have 
been  indicated,  each  detachment  must  act  firmly  and 
independently. 

2.  Subordinate  commanders. 

Subordinate  commanders  will  strive  with  all  their 
might  to  carry  out  the  task  assigned  them.  They  must 
use  their  own  initiative,  in  accordance  with  the  plans 
of  the  commanding  officer.  They  must  understand 
those  plans  clearly,  and  must  be  diligent  in  learning 
everything  possible  about  conditions  which  will  affect 
their  own  movements,  such  as,  the  condition  of  the  enemy, 
terrain,  etc.  They  must  see  that,  as  far  as  they  are 
concerned,  there  is  no  neglect  about  keeping  plans 
secret,  that  regulations  are  complied  with,  that  the  men 
are  kept  well  in  hand,  that  connection  is  maintained, 


112 

and  that  messages,  reports,  etc.,  are  properly  forwarded, 
etc. 

3.     Soldiers. 

(a)  They  will  guard  the  secrecy  of  plans. 

(b)  They  will  avoid  panic. 

(c)  They  will  comply  carefully  with  orders  and  reg- 
ulations. 

(d)  They  will  maintain  connection  and  touch. 

(e)  They   will   not   load   or   fire   without   special 
orders. 

(/)  Even  though  fired  upon  unexpectedly  by  the 
enemy,  they  will  not  answer  the  fire,  or  become  con- 
fused. 

(g)  When  the  enemy  is  encountered,  they  will 
strive  to  overthrow  him  by  a  fierce  hand-to-hand  fight. 

Characteristics  of  Night  Attacks. — A  night  attack, 
usually,  partakes  of  the  nature  of  a  surprise;  accord- 
ingly, it  is  necessary  to  gain  success  at  one  blow,  by 
surprising  the  enemy.  The  plans  of  battle  at  night,  are 
based  on  the  avoidance  of  visibility;  therefore,  the  at- 
tacker must  press  the  enemy  suddenly,  and  fight  a 
hand-to-hand  fight  with  the^  bayonet.  At  such  times, 
a  high  morale  must  be  united  to  a  firm  offensive 
spirit ;  because  the  panic  of  the  defender  is  much  greater 
at  night  than  in  the  day  time,  and  the  overwhelming 
menace  of  the  attack  will  derive  a  great  effect  from  a 
sudden  appearance. 

Such  being  the  characteristics  of  a  night  attack, 
great  caution  must  be  exercised  to  prevent  discovery 
by  the  enemy,  at  such  a  time.  When  the  enemy 


113 

learns  of  the  proposed  attack,  and  makes  his  prepara- 
tions accordingly,  the  attack  will  waver  and  the  offen- 
sive spirit  will  become  appreciably  less.  Therefore, 
noise  and  lights  will  be  forbidden  in  night  attacks ;  for 
noise  warns  the  enemy's  ears,  and  lights  warn  his  eyes. 
However,  sometimes  the  noise  of  a  night  attack  is  drowned 
by  greater  noises,  as  an  artillery  and  smalll  arms 
fight  in  another  locality.  If  the  enemy's  attention  can 
be  scattered  from  the  front  to  be  attacked  by  such 
means,  it  will  have  the  effect  of  a  diversion;  if,  on  the 
contrary,  it  only  adds  to  his  watchfulness,  it  had  better 
be  dispensed  with. 

At  night  it  is  easy  to  deceive  the  enemy,  because 
of  the  confusion  which  arises  from  the  misunderstand- 
ing of  noises  and  the  lack  of  vision.  Therefore,  it  is  a 
good  thing  to  carry  out  a  demonstration  at  the  point 
the  enemy  expects  an  attack,  and  execute  the  real  at- 
tack at  a  point  where  the  enemy  does  not  expect  it. 
The  demonstration  alone  will  not  deceive  the  enemy  if 
it  is  so  unskillfully  made  that  the  enemy  knows  that  it 
is  a  demonstration;  it  must  be  executed  from  the  be- 
ginning, just  like  a  real  attack.  However,  the  false 
attack  not  being  the  main  object,  it  will  be'modified  as 
much  as  the  necessity  for  quick  reports  requires. 

Method  of  Night  Attacks. — The  great  disadvantages 
of  night  attacks  lie  in  the  difficulty  of  leadership,  and 
the  lack  of  facility  in  the  connection  and  cooperation 
of  troops.  Accordingly,  methods  of  attack  which  re- 
quire a  complicated  disposition,  are  seldom  successful. 

Although  envelopment,  in  the  daytime,  is  valuable 
for  both  its  physical  and  moral  effect,  at  night,  its  phy- 
sical effect  is  decreased  while  its  moral  effect  is  increased. 
Of  course  this  movement  will  be  carried  out  whenever 


114 

practicable,  but  its  execution  will  be  very  difficult. 
When  such  a  movement  is  attempted,  a  combined 
frontal  and  flank  attack  is  required;  but  at  night,  this 
movement,  also,  is  most  difficult.  Things  go  wrong, 
and  often  the  movement  is  not  only  not  successful  but 
our  own  troops  attack  each  other  in  the  darkness. 
Therefore,  when  the  configuration  of  the  ground, 
amount  of  light,  etc.,  render  such  a  movement  at  all 
possible,  the  greatest  amount  of  care  must  be  taken  to 
see  that  there  is  no  collision  with  our  own  troops.  Dur- 
ing the  envelopment,  it  will  not  be  necessary  for  the 
troops  to  march  a  long  distance  in  close  formation;  it 
will  be  sufficient  to  assume  that  formation  immediately 
before  the  charge.  In  short,  the  envelopment  which  is 
of  great  value  in  daytime, -is  of  little  value  at  night. 
In  the  majority  of  cases,  the  issue  will  be  decided  by  a 
frontal  charge. 

Night  Attack,  and  Arms  of  the  Service. — As  we  have 
said  before,  the  conditions  at  nightime  are  entirely 
different  from  those  in  the  day;  so,  in  regard  to  the 
branches  of  the  service,  those  must  be  used  chiefly 
which  are  able  to  remove  the  obstacles  arising  from  the 
darkness.  Acordingly  it  is  not  wrong  to  say  that  night 
attacks  are  almost  the  special  duty  of  infantry. 

The  cavalry,  except  when  used  dismounted  as  a 
containing  force,  will  be  used  only  for  reconnaissance, 
security  and  connection.  (There  are  times,  however, 
when  cavalry  makes  a  night  attack  on  the  camp  of  the 
enemy's  cavalry.)  In  other  cases,  its  function  in  the 
night  attack  is  to  have  all  preparations  made  for  quick 
movement  at  daylight. 

Artillery  rarely  accompanies  the  attacking  troops. 
However,  there  are  times  when  it  continues  the  day 


115 

firing,  or  executes  the  so-called  alarm  fire  by  threatening 
another  point;  at  times,  too,  artillery  firing  is  carried 
out  in  order  to  deceive  the  enemy  as  to  our  plans. 
There  are  occasions  too,  when  the  artillery  can  assist 
the  attack  by  a  violent  fire ;  but,  in  such  cases,  the  neces- 
sary preparations  must  have  been  made  beforehand 
in  daytime,  and  the  range  must  be  short. 

Machine  guns  are  not  directly  necessary  in  a  night 
attack,  where  fire  action  is  not  the  main  reliance  for 
battle.  However,  when  discovered  by  the  enemy,  or 
when  fire  action  is  especially  necessary,  machine  guns 
have  an  important  role.  In  the  battle  of  Mukden, 
there  was  firing  on  both  sides  during  the  night  battles, 
and  machine  guns,  bomb  guns,  and  hand  grenades  were 
used.  Although,  as  a  general  thing,  machine  guns  were 
used  principally  in  holding  occupied  points,  and  for  use 
after  daylight,  and  were  taken  along  for  this  purpose, 
they  should  be  held  with  the  reserve  until  the  oppor- 
tunity for  using  them  arises. 

Engineer  troops  are  necessary  for  breaking  up  ob- 
stacles, opening  roads,  and  for  the  fortification  of  posi- 
tions which  have  been  seized.  It  is  especially  import- 
ant to  have  such  troops  during  night  attacks,  as  the 
destruction  of  obstacles  in  front  of  the  enemy's  position 
is  chiefly  entrusted  to  the  engineers. 

It  is  a  good  thing  to  have  the  other  branches  of  the 
service  carry  hand  grenades,  and  use  them  at  the  in- 
stant of  the  charge. 

The  Point  of  Attack  at  Night. — This  point  is  by  no 
means  the  same  as  in  daytime.  In  the  latter  case, 
the  approach  is  first  made  under  cover,  the  enemy  is 
then  overwhelmed  by  fire  action,  and  then  destroyed 


116 

with  the  bayonet.     At  night,  however,   the  bayonet 
is  employed  at  once. 

As  we  have  stated  before,  at  nighttime,  the  relations 
of  physical  objects  differ  greatly  from  the  daytime. 
Therefore  the  essential  elements  in  the  selection  of  the 
point  of  attack  naturally  differ;  the  principal  points 
are  as  follows: 

(a)  The  ease  in  which  approach  can  be  made. 

(b)  The  shortness  of  the  distance  of  the  approach. 

(c)  The  point  where  the  bayonet  attack  can  be 
delivered  unexpectedly. 

(d)  Not  only  is  it  possible  to  hold  the  principal 
point  of  the  position,  but  a  point  from  which  deploy- 
ment can  be  made,  can  be  held  as  well.     However,  a 
night  attack  will  not  be  limited,  by  any  means,  to  one 
point.     With  large  bodies,   especially,   several  points 
of  attack  must  be  selected,  and  independent  attacking 
detachments  will  be  used  for  each  point. 

The  result  of  victory  or  defeat  do  not  extend  for 
long  distances  as  in  the  daytime ;  therefore,  a  victory  at 
one  place  by  no  means  extends  to  distant  points,  and 
likewise,  a  defeat  .has  less  influence  at  other  points.  If 
these  different  detachments  strive  with  all  their  might, 
independently,  they  will  'obtain  victory.  However, 
at  nighttime,  there  is  so  much  noise  from  shouting  and 
rifle  shots,  that  the  original  objective  is  liable  to  be  for- 
gotten. 

In  short,  a  day  attack  employs  fire  action  to  open 
the  road  for  the  advance;  a  night  attack  presses  for- 
ward under  cover  of  darkness.  Therefore,  it  must  be 
remembered  that  night  movements  are  easy  and  secret, 


117 

and  that  the  cover  which  is  convenient  for  approach 
in  daytime,  must  be  avoided  at  night. 

Reconnaissance  and  Plans. — The  principal  factor 
in  successful  night  attacks  is  complete  reconnaissance. 
Detailed  reconnaissance  enables  plans  to  be  made 
properly.  Those  who  plan  as  well  as  those  who  exe- 
cute, must  reconnoiter  thoroughly.  As  far  as  possible, 
all  officers  should  be  well  acquainted  with  the  terrain 
and  physical  objects.  If  the  officers  who  execute  the 
movement  are  well  acquainted  with  the  state  of  the 
enemy  and  the  terrain,  it  will  go  far  in  making  up  for 
defective  plans,  and  will  guarantee  success. 

Reconnaissance  is  carried  out  at  night  as  well  as  in 
the  day.  It  is  very  important  to  know  what  degree  of 
relation  the  terrain  and  physical  objects  in  daytime 
bear  to  those  same  objects  at  night.  If  this  point  be 
clear,  mistakes  and  confusion  will  be  avoided  at  night. 

In  a  night  attack,  there  must  be  such  a  self-con- 
fidence that  success  is  never  doubted.  Such  self-con- 
fidence is  only  obtained  through  feeling  that  the  plans, 
and  execution  are  the  best  possible  under  the  circum- 
stances; and  that  can  only  be  possible  when  complete 
reconnaissance  has  been  made.  The  important  cau- 
tions with  respect  to  reconnaissance  are  as  follows : 

(a)     State  of  the  enemy. 

His  preparations  for  security,  and  his  distributions. 
(It  is  important  to  know,  in  detail,  the  position  of  the 
main  body,  covering  position,  protective  detachments, 
sentinels'  positions,  etc.) 

The  enemy's  strength,  discipline,  customs  and  pe- 
culiarities, also,  must  be  known. 


118 

Obstacles  and  intrenchments.  (Detailed  recon- 
naissance as  to  kind,  amount,  extent,  position,  method 
of  destruction  of  these  objects,  place,  materials,  etc.) 

(b)     Terrain. 

Configuration  of  the  ground  occupied  by  the  enemy; 
configuration  of  ground  in  front  of  the  enemy's  posi- 
tion. 

1.  The  terrain  as  far  as  the  assembly  point  and 
point  of  deployment ;  position  of  such  points  and  roads 
to  the  front.     The  locality  in  which  the  advance  is 
to  be  made,  advance  formation,  method  of  advance, 
method  of  connection  and  communication,  methods  of 
removal  of  obstacles,  edtc. 

2.  Terrain    up    to    the    enemy's    position.     The 
apportionment  of  sections  for  the  attack,  distribution, 
methods  of  removal  of  obstacles,  methods  of  connection 
and  communication,  etc. 

3.  The  influence  of  weather  and  the  amount  of 
light. 

Reconnaissance  must  be  made  on  dark  nights  and  on 
moonlight  nights,  in  clear  weather  and  in  stormy  weather, 
in  order  that  the  differences  in  such  times  may  be  clearly 
understood.  Too  elaborate  plans  are  the  foundation  of 
non-success,  but  it  must  be  remembered  that  simplicity 
does  not  mean  just  as  one  pleases.  Often  carelessness 
at  the  time  of  execution  brings  discord  and  confusion. 

The  Hour  for  Night  Attacks. — The  darkness  can  be 
utilized  until  success  is  attained;  after  victory,  light 
is  essential.  This  is  in  order  that  the  fruits  of  success 
may  be  increased  through  the  cooperation  of  the  other 
branches  of  the  service,  the  light  facilitating  the  charge 


119 

and  fire  action ;  it  is  also  necessary  and  convenient  for 
the  reconnaissance  of  the  state  of  the  enemy  and  the 
terrain. 

If  it  is  still  dark  after  the  charge,  it  is  most  incon- 
venient for  the  succeeding  movements,  and  is  favorable 
to  the  enemy  who  is  well  acquainted  with  the  terrain. 
However  the  time  of  execution  of  a  night  attack  de- 
pends upon  the  objective  of  the  battle,  as  follows : 

(a)  The  enemy's  position  have  been  taken,  if  it  is 
important  to  hold  it  securely,  time  the  charge  so  as  to  be 
able  to  make  dispositions  for  its  defence  by  daylight. 

(b)  When  it  is  desired  to  pursue  the  enemy  after  the 
capture  of  his  position,  the  movement  will  be  begun  so  as 
to  be  successful  at  daylight. 

.(c)  When  it  is  desired  to  attack  by  cooperation  of 
all  arms  of  the  service  at  daylight,  the  preparations 
must  be  completed  by  that  time. 

(d)  When  it  is  desired,  simply,  to  throw  the  enemy 
into  confusion,  it  should  be  executed  during  the  night, 
and  the  movement  must  be  completed  by  daylight. 

(e)  Diversions,  threatening  movements,  etc. ,  will  be 
carried  out  at  necessary  times,  modified,  of  course,  by 
the  weather,  amount  of  light,  etc.     After  midnight,  the 
enemy  sleeps  soundly,  and  the  service  of  security  often 
slackens.     Therefore,  under  ordinary  conditions,  begin 
at  midnight  and  try  to  finish  the  movement  before  day- 
break. 

Position  when  Beginning  a  Night  Attack.  (Point 
of  assembly,  deployment,  etc.)  In  movements  over  long 
distances  at  night,  connection  is  difficult,  and  it  is  easy 
to  mistake  directions  and  fall  into  confusion.  It  is 
therefore  important  to  shorten  the  distance  of  such 


120 

movement^.  To  accomplish  this,  it  is  a  good  thing  to 
advance  the  point  of  assembly,  and  deploy  as  near  as 
possible  to  the  enemy. 

In  order  to  conceal  this  place  of  assembly  from  the 
enemy  and  the  natives  as  well,  and  to  stop  the  move- 
ments of  the  latter,  a  covering  screen  against  the  enemy 
must  be  established.  This  screen  must  occupy  the  neces- 
sary points  before  hand,  so  as  not  to  advance  with  the 
main  body.  If  this  precaution  is  not  taken,  the  enemy 
will  learn  of  the  advance  of  the  main  body  through  the 
movements  of  the  screen. 

The  point  of  deployment  must  be  fixed  from  the 
conditions  of  the  hour.  The  following  points  govern 
the  selection : 

(a)     Amount  of  the  enemy's  service  of  security. 

(6)     Terrain. 

(c)  Size  of  our  army. 

(d)  Degree  of  darkness. 
0)     Weather. 

In  short,  it[is'advantageous  to  have  it  near  the  enemy, 
just  so  that  it  will  not  be  discovered,  and  in  a  place  con- 
venient for  movement. 

The  British  Field  Service  Regulations  fix  this  dis- 
tance at|not  nearer  than  900  meters.  If  the  ground  is 
level  and  open,  the  assembly  will  be  made  in  a  deployed 
line  at  once,  as  a  substitute  for  the  assembly  in  column 
of  march.  Even  when  this  is  done,  the  zone  of  move- 
ment will  be  divided,  and  all  detachments  will  advance 
in  parallel  formation.  This  is  especially  true  when  the 
movement  for  attack  must  be  carried  out  from  a  long 
distance.  When  already  near  the  enemy's  line  in 
daytime,  or  when  already  deployed  near  the  enemy, 


121 

the  night  attack  can  be  begun  from  this  line.  The 
main  thing  is  to  make  the  advance  easy  by  deploying  as 
near  as  possible  to  the  enemy  without  being  discovered. 
The  points  of  assembly  and  deployment,  roads  to  the 
front,  etc.,  will  be  marked  as  far  as  possible,  by  paper, 
rags,  broken  limbs  of  trees,  or  soldiers  as  markers.  It  is 
a  good  thing  to  block  up  the  wrong  roads,  branch  roads 
and  unimportant  roads. 

Night  Oders  or  Instructions. — Orders  for  a  night 
attack  will  be  based  on  the  usual  orders  for  a  day  attack- 
However  circumstances  may  arise  at  night  which  make 
it  necessary  to  violate  regulations.  The  Infantry 
Drill  Regulations  say,  "In  the  order  for  a  night  attack, 
there  will  be  indicated  the  object  of  the  march  of  each 
detachment,  the  road,  together  with  the  method  of 
mutual  communication,  the  method  of  recognition,  and, 
if  necessary,  the  point  of  arrival.  Again,  it  is  advan- 
tageous to  indicate,  beforehand,  the  first  step  after 
this  movement." 

If  the  order  be  made  simple,  it  is  especially  neces- 
sary to  supplement  it  by  instructions.  There  are  two 
kinds  of  orders  necessary,  depending  on  the  distance  to 
be  traversed  for  the  attack,  viz. — the  orders  for  the 
march  to  the  assembly  point,  and  the  orders  for  attack. 
If  necessary,  both  matters  will  be  included  in  one  order, 
or  the  order  will  be  made  as  conditions  develope. 
Orders  from  superior  headquarters  usually  include  both 
points  in  one  order;  the  officer  who  is  to  execute  the 
order,  will  divide  it  into  two  parts,  and  give  the  neces- 
sary orders.  In  the  night  attack  against  Kyucho  during 
the  late  war,  the  men  were  told  the  general  tenor  of 
Major  General  Okazaki's  orders;  these  orders  did  not 


122 

differ  greatly  from  the  usual  day  order,  but  the  princi- 
pal things  desired  were  explanied  by  instructions. 

Distribution  and  Formation  for  Night  Attacks. — The 
formation  for  the  night  attack  must  be  simple.  Accord- 
ing to  our  regulations,  company  columns  in  parallel 
lines  are  used  (line  of  company  columns) ;  or  detach- 
ments covering  from  front  to  rear  (for  example,  bat- 
talion column,  or  double  column  of  companies) .  Some- 
times a  few  skirmishers  are  sent  in  front,  and  some  tines, 
not. 

Although  the  line  of  columns  is  very  advantageous  as 
the  greatest  number  of  bayonets  can  be  employed  at 
the  time  of  the  charge,  the  movement  is  very  difficult 
when  the  distance  to  be  marched  in  battle  formation 
is  very  great,  or  if  the  terrain  is  not  very  favorable,  or  if 
the  night  is  very  dark.  The  advantages  and  disad- 
vantages of  the  battalion  in  column,  are  directly  oppo- 
site to  the  above.  The  double  column  of  companies 
is  midway  between  the  two  above  formations,  with 
corresponding  advantages  and  disadvantages;  this  for- 
mation is  therefore  most  often  used  in  night  attacks. 

However,  the  selection  of  the  formation  is  largely 
governed  by  circumstances;  each  company  must  con- 
form to  the  conditions  of  the  hour  in  adopting  the 
company  column  (column  of  platoons),  or  the  parallel 
columns.  While  the  latter  has  less  masses  strength  than 
the  former,  the  march  is  comparatively  easy.  There- 
fore, it  is  a  good  thing  to  use  that  formation  while  march- 
ing, and  change  to  the  other  when  conditions  require 
it. 

According  to  the  state  of  the  enemy  and  the  terrain, 
the  attacking  troops,  in  depth  of  column,  are  divided 
into  twa  or  three  echelons.  Even  when  there  is  fear 


123 

of  a  B counter-attack  from  the  flank,  the  division  into 
three  echelons  will  be  made,  the  second  echelon  being 
placed  in  rear  of  the  dangerous  flank  of  the  first;  the 
third  will  be  placed  directly  in  rear  of  the  first  so  as  to 
make  certain  the  success  of  the  first  line.  It  is  import- 
ant that  the  distance  between  echelons  should  be  short. 
If  it  is  believed  that  there  will  not  be  strong  resistance 
at  the  point  of  entry,  but  that  it  is  probable  there  will 
be  a  strong  counter-attack  after  entry,  it  is  important 
to  make  the  rear  detachments  very  strong.  On  the 

• 

contrary,  if  it  is  believed  that  the  enemy  can  be  beaten 
at  the  first  entry,  the  first  echelon  will  be  greatly 
strengthened. 

Even  in  a  night  attack,  a  reserve  cannot  be  dispensed 
with.  If  it  is  anticipated  that  the  fight  will  continue 
until  daybreak,  an  especially  strong  reserve  is  important 
in  many  cases  it  must  be  placed  very  near  the  first  eche- 
lon. Usually,  when  the  attacker's  first  line  charges 
the  enemy,  its  formation  is  broken  up;  this  is  true  ir- 
respective of  the  strength  of  the  enemy.  The  ranks 
must  be  reformed  at  once,  and  it  is  the  duty  of  the  re- 
serve to  cover  this  movement  and  repulse  the  enemy's 
second  line.  The  reserve,  often,  by  an  unexpected 
attack,  can  cover  the  retreat  of  the  first  line. 

The  Advance  to  the  Attack. — When  this  advance 
begins,  the  troops  must  resolve  most  firmly,  to  be  silent 
and  quiet.  If  the  troops  can  be  led  by  signals  and  with- 
out the  use  of  the  voice,  it  is  most  advantageous.  Each 
detachment  must  maintain  the  direction  of  the  march 
accurately;  to  do  this,  the  following  principles  must 
be  observed : 

(a)  Select  well  defined  marks,  fix  intervening  marks, 
and  follow  them. 


124 

(b)  Follow  along  roads,  railroads,  ravines,  or  §dges 
of  rivers,  which  prolonged,  reach  to  the  selected  marks. 

(c)  Send  out  scouts ;  establish  soldiers  as  markers, 
sign-posts,  etc. 

(d)  Use  military  or  civilian  guides  who  are  familiar 
with  the  route  to  be  traversed. 

(e)  Fix  the  direction  by  compass,  stars,  portable 
electric  lights,  etc. 

(/)  Maintenance  of  connection.  Each  detach- 
ment will  preserve*  connection  and  cohesion;  unex- 
pected incidents  must  be  treated  cooly;  if  the  enemy's 
sentinels  are  encountered,  capture  them  (without  firing) 
or  kill  them  with  the  bayonet,  but  it  must  be  done  with- 
out noise.  In  order  to  recover  connection  and  order, 
halt  from  time  to  time.  When  each  detachment  has 
arrived  at  the  attacking  point,  it  will  maintain  order 
and  quiet  all  the  more,  and  will  advance  most  care- 
fully. 

When  the  enemy's  effective  fire  is  encountered 
during  the  mrach,  or  when  discovered  by  his  search- 
lights, it  is  a  good  thing  to  halt  temporarily,  in  order  to 
decrease  the  effectiveness  of  the  fire,  or  escape  the  enemy's 
vigilance.  Care  will  be  taken,  however,  not  to  re- 
tard the  forward  movement. 

Night  Attacks  and  Firing. — A  night  attack  should  be 
a  surprise.  However,  even  though  the  attack  may  be 
successful,  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  enemy,  when 
he  fears  a  night  attack,  will  take  sufficient  precautions 
and  make  preparations  for  fire  action;  therefore,  never 
think  that  you  will  always  be  able  to  enter  his  position 
undiscovered.  On  the  contrary,  rather  expect  to  be 
discovered ;  and  the  chief  thought  in  your  mind  should 


125 

be  the  necessity  of  a  desperate  effort  in  order  to  carry 
out  your  mission.  The  attacker  must,  therefore,  be 
prepared  to  receive  the  enemy's  fire;  that  is,  he  must 
be  firm  under  that  fire,  and  come  to  close  quarters  with 
the  bayonet. 

Night  firing  will  not  have  a  great  effect  if  the  at- 
tacker's movement  is  carried  out  properly;  therefore, 
even  though  the  enemy  may  open  fire,  it  does  not  mean 
that  the  attack  is  a  failure  at  once.  On  the  contrary, 
success  or  non-success,  depends  upon  the  attacker's 
succeeding  movements.  For  this  reason  the  troops 
must  not  be  thrown  into  confusion  by  this  fire,  but  must 
quietly  continue  their  movement.  Silent  intimidation 
will  make  the  enemy  believe  that  there  is  not  a  single 
echo  to  their  fire  in  the  darkness.  It  is  of  special  im- 
portance in  night  attacks  to  increase  the  enemy's  doubts 
and  fears.  If  their  fire  is  returned,  the  following  dis- 
advantages result: 

(a)  It  discovers  the  attacker's    strength    to    the 
enemy. 

(b)  It  discovers  their  position  as  well. 

(c)  The  enemy  will  discover  the  real  front  of  attack, 
and  will  be  able  to  make  his  dispositions  accordingly. 

(d)  Silent  intimidation  loses  its  effect. 

(e)  It    decreases   more   and   more,    the   charging 
strength. 

Therefore,  by  firing,  the  attacker  destroys  himself, 
does  not  injure  the  enemy,  and  the  man  who  believes 
he  injures  the  enemy  by  such  means,  is  destined  to 
failure.  While  in  daytime  it  is  necessary  to  open  up  a 
road  by  such  means,  when  it  is  remembered  that  this 
is  unnecessary  at  night,  night  firing  will  become  mean- 


126 

ingless.  How  much  more  true  is  this  when  the  fire  is 
due  to  the  enticement  of  the  enemy  and  is  defensive 
in- nature.  One  can  say  with  truth,  that  night  firing 
on  the  part  of  the  offensive  means  failure. 

Night  firing  by  one  detachment  encourages  meaning- 
less fire  at  other  places,  and  such  things  denote  clearly 
the  inferiority  of  an  army.  Therefore,  the  highest 
officer  down  to  the  private  soldier  must  brave  the  enemy's 
bullets  and  long  for  the  charge. 

However,  at  times,  firing  is  used  to  cast  down  the 
enemy's  morale;  this  is  only  done  when  an  entry  into 
their  works  is  certain,  and  is  never  done  to  provide  an 
opportunity  for  entry  or  to  open  the  way  of  the  advance. 
Its  functions  is  to  increase  the  success  of  the  charge 
and  to  dazzle  the  enemy,  this  purpose  being  best 
effected  by  the  use  of  hand  grenades.  This  is  but  the 
matter  of  an  instant,  and  the  attacker  must  already 
be  in  the  position  when  the  grenades  are  used ;  they  will 
then  rush  forward  shouting  the  battle-cry,  and  success 
is  certain.  Sometimes,  firing  may  be  used  as  a  substi- 
tute for  hand  grenades. 

Preparations  Against  the  Defenders'  Changes  of  Dis- 
position.— The  defender,  in  considering  a  night  attack, 
takes  the  following  steps : 

(a)     Complete  preparations  for  night  firing. 

(6)     Illumination. 

(c)  Change  of  position. 

(d)  Counter-attack. 

Therefore,  it  is  important  that  the  attacker  be  pre- 
pared to  take  proper  steps  to  meet  such  actions.  Against 
fire  action,  as  we  have  already  stated,  lie  down  temper- 


127 

arily,  or  avoid  the  direction  of  the  line  of  fire.  (The 
enemy's  firing  line  at  night,  on  account  of  the  necessary 
preparations,  is  often  fixed).  If  illumined  by  lights, 
lie  down  and  keep  still,  in  order  not  to  make  a  shadow 
and  to  make  the  target  as  small  as  possible.  It  is  im- 
portant to  avoid  gazing  at  this  light,  for,  if  this  is  done,  it 
will  dazzle  the  eyes. 

The  defender,  at  times,  will  leave  a  weak  detachment 
in  the  day  position,  and  occupy  a  night  position  with  his 
main  force,  and  often  this  old  position  is  attacked  at 
night.  When  the  attacker  discovers  this,  he  should 
make  his  plans  beforehand,  and  not  fall  into  the  enemy's 
snare.  The  attacker  should  not  take  it  for  granted  that 
the  defender  always  occupies  his  day  position  at  night. 

When  it  is  discovered  that  the  defender  is  not  in  his 
day  position,  occupy  that  position  with  service  of 
security  troops,  reform  the  ranks  and  scout  to  the  front 
and  flanks.  Rear  detachments  should  be  called  up, 
and  emergencies  provided  against. 

Sometimes  when  the  enemy  knows  of  our  advance, 
he  will  make  a  counter-attack  from  a  flank.  There- 
fore, do  not  stop  at  simply  providing  for  the  service 
of  security  on  the  flank;  make  such  a  distribution 
that  you  will  be  able  to  oppose  any  emergency  that  may 
arise. 

With  reference  to  the  destruction  of  obstacles,  see  the 
section  on  the  attack  on  strong  positions. 

The  Night  Charge. — A  charge  at  night  is  the  pene- 
tration of  the  enemy  by  the  power  of  combined  wills 
and  a  high  morale.  This  charge  must  come  unexpec- 
tedly, and  with  an  overwhelming  impulse.  The  enemy 
must  not  be  allowed  to  await  our  coming  with  rifle  in 
hand;  we  must  sieze  the  position  in  an  instant,  and 


128 

must  have  a  collected  detachment  to  hold  the  position 
when  the  enemy,  awakening,  strives  to  resist.  If  the 
enemy  open  a  violent  fire  and  we  stop  to  answer  it,  our 
movement  will  end  in  failure,  and  the  movements  of 
other  detachments  will  be  checked  by  the  fire  of  one 
detachment.  Therefore,  no  attention  should  be  paid 
to  the  enemy's  fire,  but  the  charge  must  be  continued 
without  hesitation.  To  accomplish  this  there  must  be  a 
self-confidence  on  the  part  of  the  commanding  officer 
which  expects  success,  and  the  subordinates  must  have 
confidence  in  their  commander. 

Movements  after  a  successful  Charge. — When  the 
charge  is  successful,  each  detachment  quickly  reforms, 
takes  strict  precautions  for  security,  provides  against 
the  enemy's  resumption  of  the  offensive,  and  pursues 
as  quickly  as  possible. 

When  a  position  is  once  taken,  it  is  necessary  to  make 
preparations  against  receiving  the  enemy's  violent  fire 
from  every  side  as  soon  as  it  becomes  light.  Again, 
preparations  for  defense  must  be  made  very  quietly. 
This  makes  it  difficult  for  the  enemy  to  plan  the  re- 
sumption of  the  offensive,  and  will  make  it  difficult  for 
other  detachments  to  judge  how  to  change  their  dis- 
positions according  to  the  existing  state  of  affairs. 
Therefore,  after  a  successful  night  attack,  shouts  of 
victory  and  noisy  confusion,  will  disclose  our  position 
to  other  detachments  of  the  enemy,  and  will  be  the 
cause  of  our  being  fired  upon  and  re-attacked. 

Pursuil  After  Night  Attack. — Even  though  the  night 
attack  be  successful,  it  is  not  good  policy  to  leave  the 
position  suddenly  and  pursue  the  enemy,  because  of 
the  many  disadvantages  resulting  from  the  fact  that 


129 

pursuing  fire  cannot  be  carried  out,  the  great  amount 
of  confusion,  and  the  fear  of  receiving  the  enemy's 
counter-attack.  It  will  be  found  difficult  enough  to 
hold  the  position,  even.  This  is  especially  true  when 
the  position  captured  is  only  one  section  of  the  enemy's 
line,  his  other  detachments  holding  their  previous 
positions.  In  such  cases,  it  is  usual  to  make  prepara- 
tions for  taking  up  the  pursuit,  and  await  daylight. 
When  the  pursuit  can  be  taken  up  without  fear  of  the 
above  mentioned  disadvantages,  the  success  will  be 
correspondingly  great. 

(B)     THE  DEFENSE. 

Psychological  Disadvantages. — At  night,  the  defender 
has  a  feeling  of  anxiety,  because  the  surrounding  ob- 
sucrity  prevents  the  vision,  which  is  so  necessary  to 
him.  His  principal  mode  of  defence  is  fire  action;  and 
while  that  is  very  dangerous  to  the  offense  in  daytime, 
it  cannot  stop  the  charge  at  night.  Therefore,  it  is  the 
duty  of  the  offense  to  increase  the  defender's  doubts, 
fears,  suppositions,  etc.,  and  make  a  demoralized  army 
more  so. 

For  such  reasons,  the  commanding  officer  of  the 
defense  must  always  strive  to  maintain  good  morale, 
quietness  and  coolness.  How  much  more  must  he 
strive  at  night  to  force  back  the  individual  weaknesses 
of  the  individual,  which  arise  on  account  of  the  difficulty 
of  supervision.  To  do  this,  he  must  maintain  a  close 
formation  which  is  convenient  for  leadership  and  which 
enables  him  to  use  the  psychology  of  the  mass. 

The  reasons  for  the  difficulties  of  the  defense  are  as 
follows ; 


130 


(a)  The  difficulty  of  preventing  the  approach  of  the 
enemy  by  fire  action. 

(b)  The  difficulty  of  knowing  quickly  of  the  ap- 
proach of  the  enemy  and,  consequently,  taking  proper 
measures  against  him. 

(c)  The  difficulty  of  mutual  assistance,  on  account 
of  each  detachment  being  bound  down  to  its  place. 

(d)  The  fight  is   one   of  localities;  other  troops 
waste    time    (difficulties    of    leadership,    cooperation, 
movement) . 

(e)  The  ease  in  which  a  defender  falls  into  a  feeling 
of  being  at  a  disadvantage. 

Action  of  the  Defense  at  Night. — On  account  of  the 
above  mentioned  disadvantages,  the  defender  must 
adopt  measures  to  offset  them.  He  must,  therefore, 
take  the  following  steps: 

(a)  Guard  against  the  approach  of  the  enemy  by 
sending  out  detachments  in  front  of  the  defensive  line, 
by    distribution    of    hidden    patrols,    by    establishing 
electric  bells,  alarms,  etc. 

(b)  Light  up  the  ground  in  front,  discover  the 
enemy's  approach  at  a  suitable  time,  and  make  such 
approach  difficult. 

(c)  Fix  obstacles  at  important  points  in  front  of 
the  position,  and  prevent  the  enemy  from  destroying 
them. 

(d)  Make  preparations  beforehand  for  night  firing 
in  the  direction  of  the  enemy's  attack.     Especially, 
provide  machine  guns  at  points  where  it  is  possible  to 
enfilade  the  roads  by  which  the  enemy  will  advance, 
and  make  complete  preparations  for  firing. 


131 

(e)  Obstruct ,  by  offensive  movements,  the  approach 
of  the  enemy,  and  his  engineering  works. 

When  it  is  discovered  that  the  enemy  has  approached 
closely  and  has  constructed  works,  obstruct  him  by 
the  attack  of  small  detachments.  The  objective  of 
such  a  sortie,  of  course,  is  not  the  same  as  that  of  the 
main  battle  which  drives  off  the  attack.  It  is  therefore, 
not  only  not  necessary  to  use  large  detachments,  but 
when  such  are  employed  it  is  liable  to  give  rise  to  a 
battle  not  planned  for.  As  for  the  reasons  for  not  always 
carrying  out  a  sortie,  all  depends  upon  conditions  as 
the  time. 

Steps  when  Anticipating  the  Enemy's  Night  Attack. — 
When  the  enemy's  night  attack  is  anticipated,  have 
a  formation  ready  to  oppose  him.  Whenever  the  dis- 
positions have  to  be  changed  at  the  time  of  the  attack, 
leadership  and  movement  are  difficult  on  account  of 
the  darkness,  and  mistakes  and  confusion  will  arise. 
Accordingly,  when  expecting  the  enemy's  attack,  the 
following  steps  will  be  taken  beforehand : 

(a)     Strict  service  of  security. 

(6)  Place  the  necessary  number  of  men  in  the  firing 
line. 

(c)  Troops  in  rear  should  be  called  up  near  the  firing 
line. 

(d)  Take  necessary  measures  for  connection  and 
communication.     (Distribution  of  lights,  markers,  etc.) 

The  Defender's  Night  Battle.— The  defender,  at 
night,  will  not  permit  a  single  soldier  to  leave  his  posi- 
tion. Each  detachment  will  guard  its  assigned  posi- 
tion, independently.  Even  though  one  section  may  be 


132 

taken,  no  time  will  be  wasted  in  re-attacking  it  by  rear 
detachments.  Detachments  in  the  first  line  must  re- 
member that  it  is  generally  impossible  to  count  on  as- 
sistance from  neighboring  troops  or  troops  in  rear. 
The  defense  will  strive  to  destroy  the  enemy  by  sudden 
violent  fire  from  the  shortest  ranges.  To  do  this,  after 
preparations  have  been  concluded,  await  the  approach 
of  the  enemy;  when  he  is  very  close,  open  up  a  violent 
fire,  and  throw  hand  grenades.  At  this  instant,  use  the 
bayonet  in  a  determined  counter-attack.  The  enemy's 
random  and  searching  fire  at  long  ranges  must  not  be 
answered.  Premature  fire  action  causes  useless  firing 
to  start  along  the  whole  line;  it  is  not  only  noisy  and 
useless,  but  it  discloses  our  position  to  the  enemy,  as 
well. 

At  night,  except  for  the  protection  of  a  locality,  a 
delaying  action  will  hardly  be  carried  out.  In  this  case, 
also,  as  large  a  reserve  as  possible  must  be  kept  in  hand 
especially  when  there  is  the  fear  that  the  engagement 
may  last  until  daylight ;  if  there  is  no  reserve  then,  the 
day  battle  cannot  be  continued. 

Steps  When  the  Defender  Drives  Off  the  Enemy. — 
When  the  enemy  is  repulsed,  the  defender  reforms  his 
ranks,  but  very  rarely  pursues  with  his  whole  force,  as 
in  daytime.  Usually  a  small  detachment  from  the  re- 
serve, or,  at  times,  simply  patrols  are  sent  out  (accord- 
ing to  the  French  regulations,  only  pursuing  patrols) 
who  follow  the  enemy  only.  The  remainder  must 
guard  the  position  firmly,  as  before. 

Even  though  the  defender  is  certain  that  the  enemy's 
charge  will  be  successful,  he  will  not  heedlessly  withdraw 
from  his  position.  This  is  because  a  night  retreat 
gives  rise  to  extraordinary  confusion..  A  detachment 


133 

which  is  pursued  by  the  enemy,  will  again  occupy  a 
position  in  rear,  and  detachments  not  yet  defeated,  will 
remain  in  their  former  positions.  Taking  advantage  of 
the  latter's  success,  the  defeated  detachment  will  await 
an  opportunity  for  a  counter-attack  on  the  flank  or 
rear  of  the  enemy  who  has  penetrated  into  our  lines. 
A  general  retreat,  or  a  general  re-attack,  however,  had 
better  be  done  in  daylight. 


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SEP    16  1931 

**-4W        ITrf       4-£WA 

OCT   7  1939 

FEB    &    1940 

W  101341 

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LD  21-100m-7,'33 

OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


